Unseen till Now
by runswithwolves22
Summary: Kim has always pined for Jared, Jared has never knew the name of the shy and timid girl. But now that Jared has imprinted, is Kim ready?
1. Chapter 1

Hiyas! --claps hands together in giddy excitement-- I LOVE new stories! Always the adrenaline that keeps me writing! Anyways, thanks to all who read and leave me a note to help decide if this one is a keeper!! thanks a bunch!!!! --runner

Chapter 1

I stared dreamily into his dark, chocolately eyes, seeing everything I've ever wanted and more. The way his russet skin covered the bone structure of his face smoothly…it was mesmerizing. As if I was staring at the stone statue placed upon a pedestal of some famous man that changed the world. With _his _looks, he might as well do so.

"So, uh, can I have that pencil?" His deep voice broke me out of my reverie.

"Huh?" I asked dumbly.

"Pencil?" He repeated, pointing at the two in my hand. "For me?" He pointed to himself.

"Oh," I said, rolling the small yellow piece of wood towards him. "Sure. Take it."

"Thanks," he mumbled, turning his attention back to the front of the classroom, as I should.

But of course I didn't.

I could only worthlessly stare at the side of his head, absorbed in the way his long hair went to his shoulders, covering his ears. I jumped, causing my chair to make a loud screech and have several people turn to glare at me, when a wad of paper hit the back of my head. Jared didn't even turn towards the noise.

I suppressed a sigh, leaning down subtly and snatching the infuriating paper of the ground. I hid it under the table (our reservation didn't have the funding for proper desks; apparently the Elders had more important things to put the money to. What they are, I had no idea.) And quickly unfurled it, already having a good idea of where it came from. I easily recognized the scrawl of my best friend, Kaitlin on the crumpled paper.

_It's not healthy, I swear! _

I sighed, my finger lightly tracing over to her too-true words. She was good at seeing these type of things since her mother was a teenage counselor in Port Angeles. Kaitlin was only too happy to put in her two cents on things like teenage issues and the "drama" of the teenage life. Apparently, my case was labeled as an "unhealthy obsession" which I totally disagreed on. So I had a _little_ crush. Don't all girls have their crushes in their sophomore year of high school?

Quickly I scribbled:

_It is too healthy! At least Jared is good looking and doesn't have curly long black hair and welts covering every inch of his face!_

I silently balled it back up and waited until Mrs. Smith turned her back to write something on the board. Once she was distracted enough, I stealthily turned in my seat and chucked it back at the oblivious Kaitlin, who was twirling a brown lock of hair around her finger as she snapped the gum in her mouth. I watched with satisfaction as it smacked her in the face and turned to the front of the room with a smile on my face.

Before she had a chance to retaliate, the nasal bell of Quileute Tribal School sounded off, signaling the end of another standard Thursday. I smiled with glee as I turned to shove my notebooks in my bag, stealing one last glance at Jared, who was rapidly stuffing things in his bag and preparing for take off. His eagerness made me smile, like he was a puppy going for a walk.

I turned when somebody tapped my shoulder, relieved to see that it was just Kaitlin.

"Yes?" I asked as innocent as I could muster. She was going to beat me for taunting her about Andrew, her infatuation of the week. I couldn't see the draw; his looks paled next to Jared's. Of course, it seemed like everybody's looks did in my opinion. I sighed as I slinged the heavy bag over my shoulder, wondering how the weight would permanently damage my posture.

Wordless with anger, she held up the crumpled note on the side I had written on.

"Yes?" I repeated. "Is there a problem?"

She vigorously shook the ripped piece of paper in my face. "This Kimberly Ann Chehalis!" ((I know that it is wrong of me, but I am cheating! I am using the names of things around Washington as their last name since my Google of "Quileute Names" came up with nothing –runner)) "This is what my problem is!"

I sighed, rolling my eyes at her dramatics. As was our tradition, we headed over to the back door, avoiding the large and pushy crowds of students eager to run from the school.

"I mean come on!" She continued. "_You_ make fun of _me_ for liking Andrew while you're over there leaving a puddle of drool of Jared Haida!"

"Hey!" I said, defending myself without half the fervor she was.

"I mean come on Kimmy," she pleaded, gripping my arm as we slowly made our way towards the front of the school where I could already hear the roar of the buses as they began to enter the small parking lot of QTS. ((Just in case you don't know this, QTS means Quileute Tribal School –runner))

"Don't," I interrupted, flicking her hand away from my arm. "Call me Kimmy. It's even worse than Kimberly."

She sighed, "Fine _Kim_," I smiled, nodding for her to go on now that I had a proper title. "Please tell me that this infatuation with be over with soon. I mean, _fifth grade_. And you refuse to ask him out! Since the fifth grade! We are now in our sophomore year of high school! Five years of pining for this boy yet you refuse to ask him to hang out, even as friends! He hardly even acknowledges you, and I doubt he knows your name. Kim. Get. Real."

I threw my head back and groaned as she said those last words, something that she repeated like a mantra twenty times a day at the least. Apparently, my longing was even unhealthier than her obsession with multiple guys, her crushes changing once a week. Jacob Black was currently the record holder for the longest crushing time with Kaitlin, although he never even knew about it. She was completely believed that she was in love with him for sixteen days until she saw another one of his friends, Paul, and switched views. Now, he was just considered window shopping material; something you enjoy getting an eyeful as you pass buy, but never really want to go in and buy.

"And do I need to even mention your diary?" She asked, her perfected one-raised-eyebrow look coming across her face.

"You looked in my diary?" I screeched, fully smacking her in the arm now.

"Duh," Kaitlin replies, not even flinching at my hitting. "You might think that you're hiding place in-between the mattress and the bed frame may be ingenious on your part, but it's a classic hiding place. First place I looked, actually," she said, thoughtful now. "You made it really easy on me Kimberly," she slung an arm around my shoulders. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," I grumbled. My diary was my hiding spot, something I could confide in because I knew that I wouldn't receive a cryptic response because it couldn't talk, which was a nice break when you're best friends with Kaitlin Chetco, who received the nickname "motor mouth" for having a very fast and very loud mouth, and lived in a family of six, including a loud and argument prone mother and father, both of whom were lawyers, which certainly didn't help the situation.

She laughed lightly as we joined the hoards of other students all fighting their way towards the entrance of the six buses. Luckily, Kaitlin and I lived a couple blocks from each other, so we rode the same bus and I always had a bus seat partner. We quickly found an open seat in the perfect spot: not too close to the bus driver so we didn't look like suck ups, and not so close to the back of the bus, where most of the ruckus was generated. Soon we were rolling out of the parking lot, and I settled in for a long ride. Kaitlin was the second to last stop, and I was the very last stop.

"Oh hey, did you get the homework Ms. McLean gave out today? I, for one, did not because I think she needs to go into more detail when explaining things like geometry, you know? Especially since the dumbos in our class are totally oblivious to what is going on, which doesn't make concentration any easier. Oh my gosh, did you hear that…"

One good thing about Kaitlin was that there was never an awkward silence. She could just go on and on without ever needing a good response. I just had to nod my head occasionally so she knew that I was still breathing. Other than that, I was free to either have a very interesting conversation or let my mind wonder. Today I chose that latter of the options, slumping down in my seat and staring out into the darkly mysterious forests of La Push. There had been a lot of rumors that a new species of bears were out on the attack in the forests, and many parents, mine included, were restricting time out of doors because of it. I wasn't allowed to walk within a twenty yard radius of the forest without the watchful eye of my mother or father.

There had also been a lot of rumors about the supposed cult started by Samuel Uley, one of the older boys on the rez. Supposedly, he had been growing at a very fast rate, inhumanly, as his mother puts it. She was losing control of him, and he would disappear during the night and come home without a good reason. He also dumped his long time girlfriend Leah Clearwater and went for her _cousin_ (how cheap is that?) Emily Young, who had been mauled by a bear a few years back. They recently got engaged and moved in together. My mom said that he had to be taking steroids at the rate of his growth, something that I didn't want to believe but could find no other reasonable explanation. I hated to believe rumors of any kind, but you couldn't help but listen to them.

"So are you going to ask him? To the dance?"

I turned to look at Kaitlin, who was looking back at me excitedly, with a look of disbelief and a tad of anger. He didn't even know my name, why would he consider taking me to the dance? Besides, I wasn't capable of dancing without making a complete fool of myself. When I did dance, it was in the privacy of my own room with the blinds pulled down and my sister Adrienne, out of the room.

"Pretty please?" She begged, gripping my arm with strength of steel. Seeing my look of pain, she loosened it but refused to release me. "I'm going to ask Andrew and it would be weird going without

"Why would it be weird without me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "You know that I don't go to these types of things." Ever.

She groaned theatrically. "Exactly why you should go. This will be the one time Jared," she lowered her voice on his name, something I was thankful for since I didn't want the whole word to know about it. "Will get to see you in something absolutely amazing and dramatic and majestic and enthralling and gorgeous and-"

I cut the meaningless words off. "No." I said firmly, sternly eyeing her own brown eyes. "Absolutely not. I refuse."

She sighed, her hands dropping pitifully on her lap and her lower lip jutting out as she tried to guilt me into it. Stubbornly, I crossed my arms across my chest and turned away, firm in my decision. I will not succumb to her pressure. Mom always said that peer pressure is something you walk away from, but since I had the window seat, I wasn't exactly capable of it, so turning away was the best way to go.

"Fine. I won't bother you of it anymore. I guess this means that you get to help me pick out my dress now!" She squealed excitedly and quickly started listing everything she wanted, all of which sounded completely ridiculous but could probably be pulled off by Kaitlin. She was of medium height, and had thick dark brown hair, regular tan skin and dark brown eyes. She had the slim athletic physique that carried skinny jeans rather well and loved to dress up her slim body. I sighed, tuning her out again and staring back at the forest. I watched as some kids joyfully unloaded from the stuffy bus and ran home, engrossed in getting home to freedom. I longed to trade places with them and run free (well, not totally. Run free _within_ the restrictions, of course.) and lather in the wonderful feeling of being away from education and grouchy teachers.

Soon we were nearing my own stop, and I said my goodbyes to a still babbling Kaitlin and watched her skip home, waving as I passed by. I quickly glanced around the bus, seeing only one or two freshman and a senior slouched in the back, head bent over a book. I sighed as I made sure I had everything in my bag before carefully hoisting it up on my shoulder and edging towards the aisle, preparing for a sprint of the bus as soon as the doors swung open.

Unlucky for me, I didn't realize how quickly the rain had picked up and I was soon completely soaked, having conveniently forgotten my umbrella at home, along with a hooded jacket. I ran down the sidewalk, my wet shoes painfully rubbing up against my raw skin. I rattled the door angrily, having forgotten my key which had been next to the umbrella (interesting how things work out, right?) and yelling at Grace, my sister, to open the door before I got hypothermia. I nearly fell onto the ratty old entrance rug when my sister swung the door open and let it slam against the wall halfway into my second pounding session.

"Can't you just ring the door bell?" She asked, blowing a huge pink bubble and letting it pop before going back to chewing. "I mean, hello Kimmy. I only have so much time to let my forgetful sister in." and with that, she turned on her heel and headed towards the living room, which was adjacent to the foyer and returned to some ridiculous computer game. I sighed, removing my rain boots with quick, practiced movement and stuffing them in the bottom shelf, clearly labeled "BOOTS" from Mom's organization obsession that she thankfully got over. Of course, she didn't recover until _after_ installing shelving on practically all the wall space and customizing organization units in all of our closets.

I sprinted up the stairs, eager to get into a warm shower and out of my wet and cold shoes. I grabbed some sweats and raced into the bathroom, locking it and stripping down. The burning hot water relaxed all the frozen muscles in my back, and I slowly felt the tension of the day go down the drain along with the rest of the water. I felt much better in my sweats too. They were sort of like a much healthier comfort food for me. Kaitlin's words had affected me more than I would admit. I have had a crush on Jared for _five _years, half a decade. Yet my shyness and thoughts of an embarrassing rejection inhibited me from trying to even talk to him, let alone ask him out. He didn't even know my name, which was pathetic for being in a school so small. And having been in at least three of his classes since elementary school.

I headed down the stairs, wondering if Mom was home yet. It was already six thirty, and I should have gotten dinner ready beforehand. Grace got grumpy if she wasn't fed within a proper time range.

"Grace?" I called.

"What?" She barked back, irritated that I was being a distraction.

I rolled my eyes to myself. "Did Mom say that she was going to be home late?"

"No, Mom said she was going to be back right on time!"

I smiled, turning to see my smiling mother hang up her jacket and close the garage door. She came over and affectionately pecked me on the top of my head, something almost everybody in my family could do now, and the begin to bustle about the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"How was school?"

I went over to the dinner table, the only seating arrangement in the kitchen, and sat down with a sigh. "Repetitive as always," I replied with a sigh. She didn't know about the unhealthy obsession fortunately, or I'm sure I would never hear the end of it.

She laughed lightly. "Well, it will all do you good in the long run."

I held back another sigh. That's all she ever seemed to think about; the long run. Whatever happened to living in the now? Dang it, hasn't she watched High School Musical 2? ((Ha ha! Lol tiff! I put it in just for you! –runner))

"I know, I know," I mumbled under my breath, not really meaning it. My parents both wanted at least one of their children to become lawyers, and it seemed like their three younger children held no hope, so they focused their sights on me; timid Kim. I certainly didn't have the confidence to do something like prosecuting some innocent person. I had too much heart.

"Colleges only accept people who have completed high school with average, if not better, grades, and this means putting your effort into all of your work. I remember when I was younger; I certainly put myself into work. I would study each night for three hours…"

I tuned her out as well when she began one of her when-I-was-younger speeches that she only gave to me on when I wasn't feeling the homework. They could go on for hours if her schedule let them, and she luckily didn't question me about her lectures once she was done, something I was very thankful for. It meant that I didn't have to pay attention, and that I could think about more important subjects, like Jared…

"Dinners ready!"

I nearly flopped out of my chair when her voice seemed so close. I quickly recomposed myself and got up, grabbing a plate and setting some salad on it to appease my mother.

"So you see honey," my mother said sweetly, running a hand through my thin black hair that I had inherited from her, although she made it so much more pretty with expensive hair products that she needed to quote "work the job" and "make people know that she means business." Personally, I just think that she likes to look pretty, but then again, who doesn't? I nodded absently along with my mother's words, trying to appear to look thoughtful of her wisdom. "You have it _so _easy. So work hard and get good grades!"

"Alright," I said, happy that my voice sounded determined. I had never been a good actress, something that frazzled Kaitlin's nerves. She was just a smooth talker, and blabbed her way through anything. I stuttered over my words and my body language always gave it away. I put some noodles and sauce on my plate before returning to my usual place at the table. I waited patiently for the rest of my family to trickle in before picking up my fork.

Soon the only noise coming from the kitchen was the clanging of forks and plates as hungry people devoured their food. I watched as my youngest sister Brianna tried unsuccessfully to make noodles less messy for herself. She was only four, so it didn't really matter right now. Evan, my only brother, who was eleven, was soon getting up for seconds. Lately he had been eating a lot more, something which did not escape my mother's notice.

"Seconds already?" My mother called to him in the kitchen; half turning to make sure he had some green on his plate.

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p'.

He was soon back to eating like there was no tomorrow at the table, and we all returned to our own plates. Like usual, I was the first to finish, and my mother, like usual, complained about this.

"Kim sweetie," she cooed. "Please eat some more. It's like you never eat anymore!"

I sighed, sitting back in my chair. "I do eat Mom. I ate all of the salad and most of the spaghetti."

She pursed her lips and said no more, delivering another string of spaghetti to her mouth. I was soon not the only person finished, and I grabbed Grace, who was the second oldest at fourteen, and dragged her towards the kitchen. It was our duty to wash and dry the plates, and she constantly tried to get out of it with horrible excuses that usually worked.

"But I have homework!" She cried.

"If you had homework," I reasoned, making sure that my parents could hear. "You would have started it earlier instead of playing games and IMing your friends on the computer after you got home from school."

"Shut it!" She hissed, furtively glancing at the dinner table, where my parents seemed to be preoccupied with what I am sure was a fascinating conversation. Brianna was only halfway done, and Evan was on his fourth plate of spaghetti.

I rolled my eyes at her and pushed her towards the counter space by the sink. She always dried and I always washed. Grace claims that she doesn't want to get her clothes wet, which I constantly snorted at. Couldn't she just change afterwards?

I started with the pots and pans first, and soon worked my way through the family's plates and utensils, but not before gagging a few times at the sight of water-logged spaghetti. I left her to drying the dishes (she had gotten distracted when her friend called her, so therefore she was way behind on the drying job) and headed towards my room, knowing the a wonderful pile of math homework eagerly awaited my attention.

I shoved the heavy load onto the desk and sat down in the old ratted desk chair and labouredly started, understanding only when it asked for my name at the top of the page. Halfway through I sat back in my chair, rubbing my hands over my eyes. I stood up, going over to the small window seat and staring into the dark green forest, wondering what exactly was out there. You can't always believe rumors, even if you hear them from several people. Were bears _really _inhabiting the forests of La Push? There were also reports of sightings from Forks, and some of the other Olympic Peninsula small towns and cities.

It flashed by my window before I could fully comprehend what it was. It was a speeding brown ball of fur, and I swear that I could make out four legs running in a blur and a muzzle towards the front.

I ran back to my desk, preoccupying myself with my homework, but all the symbols seem to run together in my head.

That was no bear. It had to be a wolf. There was no doubt in my mind.

((Please review if you'd be so kind. --runner))


	2. Chapter 2

((thanks to all again. especially those of you who reviewed, which wasn't many, but it's a start! --runner))

Chapter 2

"Can you believe it?" Kaitlin asked, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Believe what?" I asked, returning to the conversation I had zoned out on a few minutes prior. We were sitting at out usual table in lunch, the one closest to the exit doors just in case we "need to make a break for it" as Kaitlin eloquently calls it. Why we need to ditch school, I don't know. But it was better than sitting all by myself during lunch.

"Six weeks until summer!" She clapped her hands together delicately while jumping up and down in her seat. "This means sleepovers every day and swimming at First Beach every day and it means no more Ms. McLean! Wahoo!"

I zoned her out again, still reeling over what happened last night. Every time I rewound the permanent video in my head, I got all lightheaded and lost focus on whatever I should be doing. I was positive that there were no bear haunting the La Push people, they were mutated wolves that were the _size _of bears. They were huge, with oversized paws and long legs that could carry them faster than I thought possible for a single animal.

I quickly returned to the conversation when I heard a familiar name that brought a recognizable ache to my chest.

"This also gives us time to get over you Jared obsession, so we could hang out on the beach every single day and go to parties every day and have fun and meet guys and get you away from _him_. " She pointed with disgust at the crowded table where Jared usually set with all of his friends. They were all bulking up, it seemed, and their broad shoulders touched each others. They were very loud, and constantly received glares from the lunch staff who were too intimidated by their size to act on their annoyance. There was Jared, Paul, Jacob Black, Quil Ateara, Embry Call, and a few other more lanky guys. They were quieter, more laughing around with them instead of supplying the laughter.

I quickly stole my eyes back, not wanting to go all starry eyed on him in the cafeteria, where there were witnesses. I looked back at Kaitlin, who was distracted with some old salad from the lunch ladies.

"No parties," I told her firmly. "You may go to them all you wish, but I refuse. I am not a party person."

She sighed, shaking her head as she recovered the green leaves that had seen better days with the plastic. "But you need to get out!" She whined, a five year old as always.

"I am fine the way I am, thank you very much."

"Maybe _you're_ fine with the way you are Miss Chehalis, but some of us don't appreciate it as much when their best friend refuses to be their party pal!" She pouted, grabbing her uneaten lunch and chucking it into the trash can. "People can't meet other people without getting out."

"What if I don't want to meet other people?" I asked, innocently putting a piece of pizza in my mouth so I had time to think of a retort when she got mad, as I predicted she would. Kaitlin was a very social person, and wanted to go to a big university in the city so she could meet some new people and interact with quote "different social groups" other than the stereotyped high schoolers.

"Kimberly Ann Chehalis…" she growled, her dark brown eyes flashing with anger. "You will meet new people. And you will _want _to meet new people."

I laughed off her unspoken threat and continued eating my pizza.

"What am I going to do with you Chehalis?" She groaned, hitting her head on the table. I hid my smug smile and stood up to go dump the contents of uneaten food on my tray.

"You are going to let me be whoever I want to be, Miss Chetco," I informed her once I returned to my seat. She opened her mouth to reply, probably with some sarcastic remark about my will power, but was interrupted by the nasal bell signaling fifth period. We both stood up and went our separate ways, but not until _after _I received the death glare from Kaitlin, which meant that I would be lectured about this when there was an opening in seventh period, our last period, or during the whole bus ride. Probably both, knowing who devious Kaitlin could get when she was fueled with irritation with me.

I somehow survived gym and language arts, although I couldn't stop glancing at the clock during sixth, because I wasn't anxious for the end of the day nor was I anxious to see Kaitlin (quite the opposite), but I wanted to see Jared. I saw him first and third, but he sat behind me in both those classes, and it would look weird if I kept turning around to see his handsome face. He sat next to me in History.

I quickly filed into the classroom along with the other students, looking for only one face that would appease the tension I could feel in my stomach. Jared was staring blankly at the front of the room, idly playing with the pencil _I _had given him without fainting, something I was very proud of.

I passed by him without doing anything stupidly embarrassing and took my seat, trying my best to concentrate on the task beforehand, which was paying attention to Mrs. Smith drone on about some revolution in a foreign country and how it affected the water, or something along those lines. I had to remember that I was _not_, in fact, enrolled in QTS to swoon over Jared Haida. It was just a bonus on my part.

"Alright!" Mrs. Smith clapped her hands together as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. "Today, we will be starting a research project on one important and influential event in America's history. You will be allowed one partner." She paused as everybody in class made eye contact with their partner. I turned in my seat to look at Kaitlin, who was toying with the pen in her hand, and raised my eyebrows at her. Without even looking up, she nodded absently, signaling her agreement. Satisfied, I returned my attention to Mrs. Smith. I was a bit confused with the angelic smile on the old woman's face. Why was she smiling like that?

"And I have already arranged your partners!" She announced proudly. Groans filled the room, and I joined the other students. I turned back to Kaitlin, who had her jaw dropped. She relied on me for all partner projects to get a good grade. Feeling my gaze, she turned to me and crossed her fingers. I mimicked her action and turned back.

"You will be partners with whoever you are sitting by."

My head jolted up with shock when I heard that. I stared unfathomably at the now hated Mrs. Smith. She just _had_ to have us do our projects, which probably counted for fifty percent of our grade, with our _table partners._

_Table partners. _

As in Jared.

I turned back to Kaitlin, pleading with my eyes that she smooth talk Mrs. Smith into letting us choose our partners. I lost all hope though when I saw that she was talking animatedly with her partner, Andrew Ulmer. I sighed, dejectedly turning towards the front of the room. Instinctively, I felt a pair of eyes on me coming from the right side. Panicked, I turned back once more to Kaitlin, who was also looking at me with a mysterious grin. Her grin widened when she saw the terror in my eyes. Clucking her tongue, she returned her attentions to Andrew.

"Is there a problem, Miss Chehalis?"

I quickly pivoted in my seat to face Mrs. Smith, who was standing in front of my table.

"No Mrs. Smith." Nothing other than the fact that your torture methods that were very effective.

"Good. Because I do believe that work with your partner needs to begin." She smirked and moved on.

Slowly, as if moving at a snail's pace would make it all go away, I turned towards Jared. I winced before shyly looking up at his face, scared of his reaction.

He looked absolutely dumbstruck. His mouth was shaped in an o, and his eyes were wide as he stared at me with some unreadable expression.

_Was it really that bad working with me?_

_((Oh the drama! _tee hee! lol! --runner))


	3. Chapter 3

((Thanks for all the nice reviews! I'll try to update more often, but there's this thing in Washington called the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) that is going on for two weeks, and it's basically a really strenuous test that places you in your classes and your scores go on your permanent record. Therefore,…I am under a lot of stress right now for complications with my life in which I shall not make you endure. _So…_please enjoy this chapter. And please note that updates may be less frequent, sorry! --runner))

_Last Chapter:_

"_Is there a problem, Miss Chehalis?" _

_I quickly pivoted in my seat to face Mrs. Smith, who was standing in front of my table. _

"_No Mrs. Smith." Nothing other than the fact that your torture methods were very effective. _

"_Good. Because I do believe that work with your partner needs to begin." She smirked and moved on. _

_Slowly, as if moving at a snail's pace would make it all go away, I turned towards Jared. I winced before shyly looking up at his face, scared of his reaction. _

_He looked absolutely dumbstruck. His mouth was shaped in an o, and his eyes were wide as he stared at me with some unreadable expression. _

_Was it really that bad working with me?_

Chapter 3

"Um…wh-what do you want do the…project…on?" I stammered, feeling the heat cross my face.

He just stared wordlessly, his expression the same.

"J-Jared?"

As if somebody poured a bucket of water on him, he snapped out of his stupor as quickly as he fell into it.

"I'm Jared," he says, sticking his hand out. "Who are you?"

Timidly, I shake his hand, embarrassed at how my hand trembles at his excruciatingly warm touch. I quickly stole my hand back, staring at it. Like a ghost, I could still feel his touch even once it was gone. It was _hot. _(temperature-wise, mind you!)

"Kim." I respond, still a bit depressed that he didn't know my name. We only went through almost our entire education together.

"Cool."

I don't know how to respond, and it was a long awkward silence.

"Are you new here?" He asked all of sudden. I was painfully aware of how sincere he was being. This question was no joke.

"Um, no. I've…lived here all my life." I bit my lip, staring intently down at the table as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Really?" He asks.

"Yeah…" I tell him awkwardly. Well, this wasn't exactly how I imagined the first time he asks for my name.

"Cool."

I sigh with frustration and flip my notebook open to a fresh page.

"What?" He asks out of the blue, making me nearly fall out of my chair. Silently, even though we were so close, he had moved his chair so it was practically touching my own chair. "Are you okay?"

"Uh…sure." I release a shaky breath, printing my name at the top of my paper. "Um…what do you want to do the project on?" I ask again.

"Project?"

I nod, grabbing the paper Smith put on our table and sliding it in front of us both.

"You are to write a three page essay on one important event that happened in U.S. history," I read aloud. "With a partner, you are to research this topic thoroughly until you can truthfully title yourselves as experts on the subject. Three weeks from now, one copy of this essay with both of your names on it will be turned into Mrs. Smith. This will be your final grade of the year, not counting finals."

He let out a warm gust of air that fanned my hair, making it sway a little bit. "I'm glad I got a partner who pays attention."

Wordlessly, I nod, memorizing the way his face changes when he smiles at me. There's something different in his eyes though, some inexplicable emotion that I can't understand. It's almost…happy…yet…frustrated? Sad? Angry? Some slightly bad adjective.

"Kim? You okay?"

I feel the blush darken when I hear the concern in his tone. I look back down at the blank paper, toying with the metal spiral that holds the notebook together, and I nod, unable to voice what I really feel.

I was a _hell _of a lot more than okay.

As soon as the bell rang, and the rest of the class catapulted themselves out the door. Slowly, because I was in a daze, I got my stuff together, not really paying much attention to what I was doing. I felt the presence of somebody beside me, and thinking it was just Kaitlin, I didn't really pay attention.

"So you want to get together this weekend to work on the project?" Jared asked, making me nearly give myself a concussion on the desk behind us. I hadn't realized that he was still here. Usually on Fridays, he's one of the first people out of the class.

"Um…actually, Mrs. Smith said that we didn't have to be really researching until next Wednesday." I pointed out awkwardly. I was _not _ready to be alone with him. I don't think I will _ever _be ready.

"Oh…"

I nearly had a heart attack when he actually looked _sad_ that I had said no. Jared was _sad_ that I…whoa. Just…whoa.

Ungraceful as ever, I stood up and shoved the chair under the desk. "I guess I'll…er…see you on Monday, then."

He nodded carefully, making no motion to get up, even as his friends arrived at the door.

"Jared!" The loudest, Paul, yelled. "Let's get going man!"

"Excuse me Paul, but this is a classroom." Mrs. Smith, who was cleaning the whiteboard, shot him a sour look, which only made Paul laugh.

"_Excuse me_, Mrs. Smith. But this is my voice."

I rolled my eyes, and quickly made a run for it, grabbing Kaitlin, who was watching me with wide eyes, and dragging her out the back door. We walked extremely slowly since we usually walked back to our houses on nice Fridays instead of catching the bus.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" She squealed, jumping up and down and running all over the place, probably trying to run off some energy. I couldn't decide if she was ecstatic about being partnered with Andrew or if she was just overjoyed with the fact that I had talked with Jared and that he actually knew my name.

I sighed, leaning against the back of the school. This might take a while.

"_You_ were talking to Jared Haida and _I _was talking to Andrew Ulmer! And now…drum roll please…they are our history project partners! Ah!" She squealed, continuing on with her rant. I ignored her and started walking down the path that led to the front of the school. She followed, squealing every five seconds over something trivial. I rounded the school angrily and stomped my way through the crowds, feeling Kaitlin right behind me. Suddenly, an extremely familiarly warm hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, halting my walk and nearly dislocating my shoulder.

"Kim! Are you okay?" Jared asked, making my heart go crazy when I heard how worried he was.

Not really wanting to talk to Jared Haida for the first time in my life, I quickly snatched my hand back. "Just peachy," I mumbled before taking off, much to the chagrin of Kaitlin, who was now pouting.

"And he wanted to talk to you too!" Kaitlin nearly yelled. "You just ruined a mighty good chance, Kimberly Ann Chehalis!" I sighed, not really wanting to listen anymore. We were only a few blocks away from her house, a big relief to me. She would never let me forget about this.

"Jared! You can _not _associate with them anymore! _At all!_"

We both froze, and even Kaitlin stopped talking and stood still. We shared a terrified look. The both of us recognized that voice: Sam Uley.

"But I don't see why-"

"Jared! This secret is bigger than anything you have ever been apart of! They will join you soon enough! Stop. Talking. To. Them. Now."

I heard Jared whimper, and it took everything I had not to step out of the shadows of the forest that was our cover and see why Sam seemed to be torturing him. Seeing what I was about to do, Kaitlin quickly grabbed my arm with an iron hold. I looked at her appreciatively and strained to hear their conversation.

"Sam I need to tell you something," Jared muttered in a low voice that I could barely hear. He sounded tense.

"What is it, Jared?"

"Well…there's this girl…"

My heart sank down to new depths as I looked frantically over at Kaitlin, who quickly understood what I needed. She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of our cover. "Stay silent and let me do the talking. Act normal." I practiced breathing normally and not hyperventilating, which might blow our cover.

We quickly walked towards their talking, which quit once they heard Kaitlin's purposely-loud footsteps. I pretended to be preoccupied with Kaitlin, who was grinning at me with blank eyes as if she had just told a joke. She laughed as we came into view, and I had to smile at her excellent acting. No wonder she starred in all the high school plays.

"Oh!" she said perfectly, continuing to walk at a bit slower pace. "Hey Jared…" insert a very awkward pause right here. "Sam."

He nodded curtly at us both, staring at me with black eyes.

"Kim!" I heard Jared call from behind him. He quickly emerged out of the forest, staring intently at me with bright eyes.

"H-hi Jared." I managed to stammer. I saw Kaitlin's smile falter at my horrible acting. I swear her elbow twitched towards my stomach before she had a chance to fully compose herself.

"C'mon Kim," she said, grabbing me even harder than last time and quickly dragging me out of sight. We stayed silent until we were in out of earshot.

"Ow!" I yelped when she smacked me with all her strength on my back. I grabbed a tree branch to help steady myself. "What was _that_ for?" I practically yelled.

"What do the words _stay silent_ mean to you Chehalis?" She screeched, impatiently flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "You practically blew our cover!"

I sighed, hunching my shoulders slightly. "I'm sorry. He said hello to me and I guess I felt obligated to say hello back. Common manners."

She sighed sympathetically, patting me on my back in a much nicer way, although it still kind of stung from her last hit. I winced slightly, and she quickly recoiled her hand.

"I know. I probably would have acted the same way around…Andrew," she sighed, swooning at the sound of his name.

I rolled my eyes.

"So I probably shouldn't go all counselor on you _all _the time." She smiled. "I just…don't want to see you get hurt."

I smiled as we stopped at the beginning of her driveway, and I quickly engulfed her in a quick hug. "Thanks," I whispered before taking off at a run towards my house.

"You're welcome!" I heard her yell from behind me, her voice echoing throughout the small neighborhood. I smiled to myself as I rounded the corner. I loved Kaitlin. I don't think anybody else could have survived this "unhealthy obsession" with me.

((Thanks to all who read, and review! ~please~ I just want to know what you are thinking of my writing. The good? The bad? The ugly? --runner))


	4. Chapter 4

((Yay! Testing over, writing affirmative! Hope you guys all have a wonderful Friday and rest of the weekend! (I'm in a good mood, if you can't tell) --runner))

Chapter 4

"I'm going out!" I yelled up the stairs to my parents, who were watching TV in their room. I heard their mumbled response that sounded like an agreement and quickly ran out, eager to escape the stuffy house. Kaitlin was out camping with her family and wouldn't return until late Monday, leaving me all alone for the entire weekend and school day.

I quickly made my way to the beach, enjoying the feeling of the seldom sun spreading the warmth across my face. As I approached the warm sand/rock that made up the La Push beach, I swiftly removed my shoes and made my way to one of the closer logs, taking a seat on the wind-smoothed logs. The sand felt nice and warm on my feet, like my own person masseuse.

"Nice day out, isn't it?"

I fell over the back of the log, thankfully hitting the soft sand instead of the rock. Jared leaped over the log, and immediately grabbed my hand, much to my heart's embarrassment, and helped my up. I smiled hesitantly up at him, knowing my cheeks were scarlet red.

Seeing how his mouth was set in a tight line, I sighed. "Go ahead."

He burst into laughter, catching himself easily as he caught onto a stray branch on the old log so he didn't fall off himself. I waited patiently, staring out into the sea with burning cheeks. I could see why it was funny, but I couldn't help but be jumpy. Evan, about two years ago, had gone through a stage where he pulled pranks as if it was April Fool's day _every_ day. I had been in constant terror of being demoralized in front of everybody for months on end, hence the jumpiness.

I jumped again—I'm never going to get over that—when I felt something warm touch my shoulder. I turned to see Jared widely grinning at me, his arm back to his side.

"Yes Jared?" I asked, elated at how easily I managed to get his name out while my heart was erratically jumping inside my chest, threatening to jump out.

"How are you?" He asked conversationally, leaning back on log. He looked amazed in the sunlight; his hair was shining and his features seemed to light up.

"Er…fine. You?"

"Just _peachy_," he quoted dryly.

I shrugged indifferently. For some reason, I wasn't quite as apprehensive of being in his presence, nor was I so stupidly embarrassing on my own part. "I was in a bit of a rush," I mumbled, not wanting to admit that I was angry with myself for missing a _very _good chance at getting to know him.

"What was the matter yesterday?"

I turned, hearing some hardly noticeable and deep emotion in his voice. His face was serious, yet soft, and concerned about something. _Me?_ I quickly shook that thought from my head, concentrating on his eyes to decipher the emotion. His eyes were…breathtaking. But mysterious all the same.

"Kim?" He asked, recalling me into a world where it seemed like life was unfair. Where the girl who is shy and timid and strives to do _nice_ things for others always ended up in the dust of the people in a higher place, like Jared.

"_I just don't want to see you get hurt." _

Kaitlin's words echoed through my head as I stared at an anxious Jared.

"Um…nothing was the matter. I guess I just wanted to get away from school." I shrugged, watching as the waves crashed into the shore, making a satisfying tumbling sound. It calmed my nerves, and I pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on my knees and closing my eyes, letting the sun envelope me in a warm blanket. I tried not to envision anything inside my own mind, but a flash of Jared's face run uncontrollably through my head.

The first was from forty-eight hours ago, when he was asking for my pencil without even knowing my name. There was a blank look in his eyes, and the way he said his words, it was as if he was talking to a toddler.

Then my mind faced me with an image of him from two minutes ago; concerned and gorgeous, sitting next to timid Kim on a log on First Beach. His eyes were actually looking at me, not as an object in the way of something he wanted, but as a person you would look forward to seeing at the end of your day. The way I looked forward to having him sit next to me during seventh period.

I was soon lost in my own world, not even remembering him next to me. I ducked my face out of sight, hiding it against my legs as my thin hair created a curtain around the sides, hiding myself from view.

Something warm and soft touched the very tip of my forehead, the only part of my face that was exposed. Jared quickly latched his arms around my waist when he saw that I was about to fly off the log again.

"A bit jumpy, are we?" He murmured, no humor in his eyes. At least this time he wasn't going to burst out laughing.

I opened my eyes, surprised to feel his breath on my neck. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears, and my breaths were coming out in short gasps, which were very embarrassing, but I could only concentrate on his face, which was an inch away from my own.

"Kim…" he breathed, his sweet breath fanning over my face.

Before I could think it over, my body overreacted. I quickly—and somehow gracefully—slid out from under his arms, rapidly rolling to the very edge of the log and putting a respectable foot of space between us. My heart quickened when I saw the hurt look on his face.

"Yes?" I asked a bit breathlessly.

He stared at me with wide eyes before resting his arms back at his sides, composing his face.

"Why are you so jumpy?" He asks, his eyes locking onto mine and showing no sign of letting me look away.

"I guess it's just my nature," I manage to get out.

"Your nature?"

I nod, not trusting myself with anything vocal at the moment.

"So….let me get this right," he said, running a hand through his hair. "You're nature is to be jumpy…and shy?"

I scowled. That wasn't _exactly_ my nature. It was just what other people portrayed me as.

He grinned, his eyes dancing in the sunlight. "But, you know, I'm sure you're not _always_ shy. Most people aren't."

I frowned, my brow furrowing as I tried to see how he figured that. Compared to the rest of my family, I was _very _shy, especially since my parents were overtly confident lawyers (which you had to be if you were going to be a lawyer).

"So I'm right?" He assumed cockily, leaning back against the log with his hands behind his head as if he was on a tropical beach in Hawaii rather than the lukewarm beaches of La Push.

"No!" I spat, racking my brain for a smart comeback. "I have to be when I live in a family like mine. Sometimes, quiet is nice."

"You family is loud?" He questioned, cocking his head to the side adorably.

I cleared my throat—mainly to myself—and looked down at the log, lightly tracing my fingers across the smooth surface. "Uh…yeah." I shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess that's what you get when you have two lawyers in the house, one hormonal fourteen year old sister, one brother with a bad temper, and a younger sister who has yet to learn the meaning of quiet."

I looked up with surprise when I heard him chuckle. What? Did I say something funny? I quickly gave myself a fast once-over, making sure that nothing was stupidly out of place. Stealthily, I ran a hand through my hair, finding nothing more unusual than a loose strand of thin black hair that came away with my hands. I quickly returned my hands to my lap; I hardly had enough hair as it was.

"What?" I asked tiredly.

Just as soon as it started, the laughter stopped, and was replaced by a very worried look. "What? What do you mean what? Did I do something wrong?" His irrational and completely unsuspected panic seemed to grow with each word. "What did I do? Oh, was it-"

"Jared," I interrupted me, a thrill going through me as his names rolled of my lips. "Nothing. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just wondering why you were laughing."

"Oh," he said, his tense body relaxing against the uncomfortable wood. "I don't know. You're family sounds so cool and entertaining. More than mine, anyways. Be cool to meet them," his eyes wandered off to the waves before focusing back on mine.

"_Meet them_?" I repeated. If I thought of myself as embarrassing, how embarrassing would my family be? I can just imagine it now…

Jared walks into my house looking absolutely amazing in jeans and a button down white shirt, but immediately upon entering our loud abode, he enters an interrogation with my father, who wants to know what all his future plans are for the next sixty years of his life. During all this, my mother will be beckoning him towards the couch, where she pulls out the photo albums that show me through _all _my stages of awkwardness, so Jared can not only witness how I am now, but he can witness how I was during all my sixteen years. On top of that, Evan will keep yelling at me to make him something to eat since he is incapable by oath given by my mother to work the microwave or oven ever since things started to explode when Evan put them in there. Once I decide to help him out, I also have to help Brianna with eating since she has trouble eating food properly and my mother is paranoid at the thought of her _baby_ getting childhood anorexia, _but_ I will be unable to concentrate because Grace will be flirtatiously falling onto Jared's lap while trying to win him over. And finally, Jared will run away screaming to anybody who listens (which will be everybody because of Jared's popularity) how crazy Kim and the rest of the Chehalis family are.

"Yeah." His sweet voice broke of my vision, and I returned to earth, staring at him with a horrified expression on my face.

"No, it certainly would _not _be, nor will it ever get a chance to happen." I snorted and looked away, blushing a bit. Even if I had to do something really crazy, such as streaking in front of the whole school, Jared Haida was _not_, nor would he ever, see the inside of my house.

After a few moments of silence, I looked back over at him, curious. He was staring unabashedly as the tree trunk, his eyes lowered and his lower lip jutting out in a pout.

"Why are you pouting?" I asked, a slightly giggle escaping my lips. It's just…he is so _adorable_ when he pouted.

He looked up at me when I laughed a bit, an enchanting smile playing across his face. He quickly brushed his hair out of his face. "Because you won't let me meet your family." He quickly returned to his pouting mode, earning a laugh from me. The same smile flashed across his face when he heard it.

"Because you shouldn't _want _to meet my family!" I said, smiling as I moved only a centimeter closer towards him. "Why would you want to meet my family anyway?" I was honestly curious, but I immediately regretted my words once they were out. For some reason, they sounded too…I don't know, personal, I guess. Like we were…

"Kim," he began in a soft voice. Before I could see what was happening, he was right in front of me, our knees touching. I immediately flinched away, and Jared's hand shot out around my waist.

"I don't want you to fall off," he explained quickly, waving his hand at the edge of the log without dislodging his hand. "Anyways…I was _saying_…Kim, there's something-"

"Haida! Let's go! Emergency!"

His other arm quickly latched around my waist when he saw how dangerously I was wobbling. I shot him a quick smile, trying to concentrate on anything _except _for the close proximity of our bodies, and craned my neck around Jared's to see who was barking orders at him. ((Hee…barking. Ha ha. I'm so clever. –runner))

"Sam?" I muttered to myself in confusion, watching as his tall figure, clad in only ragged cut-off jeans, paced back and forth on the edge where the forest and beach met. I looked back at Jared, who was already staring at me. "Why is Sam here?" I asked in a louder voice.

Jared flinched, his warm hand enclosing mine. Using all my concentration, I stared only into his eyes, trying not to focus on the very close and heartwarming touch. _It means nothing, Kimberly_, I chanted to myself mentally. Shouldn't get desperate and start thinking crazy, unhinged ideas. I would scare him away before my family had a chance to.

"Kim, can I see you later?" He asked urgently.

"Um…" I racked my brain. "Actually…I don't think…so. I'm going hiking later to do…something." I felt my face redden.

"Where are you hiking? Are you going alone?"

"Yeah…I always do." I wanted to slap myself across the face.

"Well, you shouldn't. I'll be at your place at two." He didn't seem to think I was going to contradict him, because he took off towards the woods, running slightly behind Sam. They soon disappeared into the woods.

After thirteen minutes of no movement, I slowly looked down at my hands, which were half outstretched towards Jared's invisible form. My skin was freezing without his touch, silently screaming at me to find his warm hand and intertwine it with mine for the rest of eternity. But I wasn't about to go running off into the forest and stumble around like an idiot, screaming for a guy who didn't like me like _that. _Besides, I didn't want to be mauled by wolves. They were heartless creatures.

((Please don't get mad at Kim! She doesn't know yet. –runner))

((Anyways, I hope you all liked that chapter. I hope you press that little button that says you want to review this story/chapter. Go on. Press it. It's okay, nobody will penalize you for it. You know you want to. --runner))


	5. Chapter 5

((Hey…review…thanks…))

Chapter 5

I walked slowly home, procrastinating as much as possible. At the last minute, I cut from the path that leads back home and raced back to the beach, remembering my tradition. I quickly found the small rock that was out of the way from other's view. It was my rock, in a way. After glancing around to make sure that nobody else was watching, I quickly bent over the rock, checking on the side that was half submerged under water.

_Kimberly. _

It was all that I had been able to get in when I was seven, but it was enough to mark my territory. I climbed on top of the rock and dangled my feet in the cool water that tickled between my toes. I smiled as I stared out at one of the large rocks that jutted through the surface of the water. Idly, I wondered what it would be like to sit on one of those. It was unmarked territory since only a mountain goat would be able to climb /up its treacherously rocky side.

I sighed, climbing down after a few moments. I dragged my feet all the way back to my house, wanting nothing more than to be curled up on the log with the stupid boy who was still in my dreams no matter how many times Kaitlin told me that he was one of _those _guys; popular and snobby. I didn't believe her, of course, but whom was I supposed to believe? I knew nothing of Jared.

"Hello?" I called once I managed to unlock the front door. "Anybody home?" Hearing no response, I made my way to the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a scribbled note from my mother:

_Out. Be back whenever. On your own for lunch. Brianna asleep in bed._

I sighed, balling the note with my fists and chucking it into the trash. I quickly jogged up the stairs to Brianna's bedroom (she was the only one who didn't have to share) and peeked inside, happy to see that I would at least be getting a few hours of alone time judging on her sprawled out form. I slowly closed the door silently behind me and returned to the kitchen. Pouring myself a glass of orange juice, I sat myself down and turned on the TV, flipping it to the news.

"So far, the victims are few and have no similarities about them, which tell us that the killer, or killers, are not specifically going after a certain type of person. Police chief of Seattle Adam Wilson said this today in a public conference." The screen switched to a conference room where bulbs flashed every five seconds while an uncomfortable balding man in a too-tight suit sat.

He cleared his throat before starting. "Evidence indicates to a possible serial killer and points away from anything gang related. We are hoping to catch the killer before he strikes again, but with the location of murders, there is no way we can trace and predict the location of the next victim, which we hope there won't be. We can only wish that the entire population of Washington is being cautious and leaves the house with protection."

The screen returned to the blonde in the newsroom. "We will be keeping our website updated as soon as we get information on the Moon Murders. Please go check out www…." I looked at the TV blankly, not realizing that my fingers, on their own accord, had found the off button, and I was no staring at a black screen. Like I was a robot, I mechanically stood and went upstairs and entered my bedroom, which I shared with Grace, and stared without really seeing at my bookshelf.

"Kimmy…" I heard a whimper from next door. I quickly rose from my seat and walked with shaky legs to Brianna's bedroom, scooping her up from her bed.

"Nightmare?" I asked, brushing the tears away from her wet cheeks. She nodded her head, hiding her face on my now drenching shoulder. I carried her downstairs, slid the glass back door, and stepped into our tiny backyard. Technically, it was like part of the forest and then the rest of the beach was our backyard since there was no fence, but there was a four feet by four feet piece of grass that was just outside the door that we claimed as ours. Since it was nice and sunny outside, I thought the warmth would lull her back to sleep so I could easily hand her off to her mother once she returned home. I laid her out on the warm grass, watching as her face faded into a peaceful oblivion. I smiled, spreading out on the grass as well and curled my arm around her tiny shoulders, entertaining myself by tracing pieces of grass across her face, which made her nose wrinkle adorably. I was laughing lightly to myself, oblivious to the fact that people walking past me would think that I was a total idiot.

"How's it goin' Kimberly?" I heard Jared ask, his voice in my ear. His hand immediately clamped around my mouth, making what I'm sure would have been a very bloodcurdling scream into a muffled yelp.

Once he released me, I quickly turned on him, sitting up in the grass and pulling a sleeping Brianna onto my lap. "Stop doing that!"

"Doing what?" He asked innocently, his eyes playing with my heart.

"Surprising me!" I practically yelled through clenched teeth.

Hiding his laughter, his eyes turned to Brianna, who was cuddled up on my lap. "Who is this?"

"My four year old sister Brianna."

"Can I hold her?"

I frowned, looking at the sleeping toddler in my hands. She was very unpredictable; she could be asleep for one second and screaming her eyes out the next.

"Are you afraid I'm going to drop her?" He rolled his eyes and snorted.

I scowled, shoving her in his arms. I pulled my knees to my chest and concentrated on the sound of the waves that vaguely floated to my ears, letting the sound wash over me as the waves washed over the grainy sand and small particles of rock.

"She's cute," he said, smiling down at her peaceful face. _Wait till she wakes up_, I added mentally. _She can be a complete tyrant if you don't know how to handle her properly._

"Why are you here?" I asked, not wanting the silence to continue any longer. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable; I just preferred to hear his deep voice.

"I was going to pick you up at two, remember?"

I felt my eyebrows furrow as I glanced at the watch I was now glad my mother had made me put on. The confusion grew as I viewed the time. "And it's only noon."

He shrugged. "I guess I'm early."

"I'll say," I muttered, stretching out on the little piece of grass and trying to ignore his presence as much as I wanted to embrace it. I was going to have some Kim time.

"Do you want me to go?"

I pried an eye open at the concern in his voice again. It was a bit unsettling and a lot flattering to think that he was concerned if his presence causes me agitation, which it did the complete opposite. "No," I contradicted in a quiet voice, closing my eyes when I felt his move to my face. He could probably hear an emotion in my tone as well: quiet desperation.

"Then I'll stay."

I hid my smile and sat back up, looking at the sleeping Brianna. She was curled up on his lap, entirely comfortable. I wondered absentmindedly for a moment how comfortable it was, but quickly slapped that thought away.

"Okay. But what are you going to do for two hours?" I asked, sitting up. "I still have to eat lunch and help Brianna."

"Help Brianna?"

"Yeah. She isn't very good with utensils."

He laughed lightly, rocking her a bit in his lap. She smiled gently in her sleep. I shook my head, amazed. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" He asked.

"Make her so…calm. And nice."

He laughed again. "I don't know. Maybe I just have special connections with toddlers."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, making my way to the sliding glass door.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his voice a bit panicky.

"To get some lunch. Why?"

"Oh," he visibly sighed, relieved. In a second, he was by my side with Brianna in his arms. "You haven't had lunch yet?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "I guess I just lost track of time."

He shook his head, an incredulous look on his face. "Forget lunch?"

I looked up at him, confused about why he seemed so adamant about it. "Yeah…"

Jared just shook his head once more, much to my puzzlement, and seated himself at the kitchen table as if it was routine. I couldn't help but stare at him for a few moments while he stared curiously back. I mean, _Jared Haida_, the boy of my daydream that were too embarrassing to tell anybody about, was sitting in _my _kitchen in _my _house. This goes beyond daydreams, it's like heaven.

"Something wrong?" He asked courteously while giving a bright red apple a quick once-over before biting. He always seemed so concerned about my feelings, and each time he asked, I felt my heart stutter for several minutes before regaining practical composure.

"Um…no," I said, blushing while turning self-consciously towards the kitchen and looking for something suitable to eat. I stuck my head in the pantry, searching. I tossed some cereal boxes onto the counter, knowing that Brianna could at least eat the dry cereal with her fingers. "You can have something, if you're hungry," I called out, feeling rude. My mother always said that you shouldn't eat in front of somebody without at least offering him or her some food. I had no idea why, but it sounded nice.

"Cool, thanks."

I jumped a foot into the air, painfully stubbing my toe against some hard food item when I heard his voice right behind me. Did he have to move around so silently?

"Geez Jared! A warning would be nice, sometime!" I exclaimed almost immediately forgetting my manners. My face was blazing red when I turned back to the pantry, my stomach twisting so much that I suddenly wasn't hungry. I sighed, stepping back and shutting the door, relieved that I at least hadn't ran into him when I closed the door. "Do you want anything?" I asked abashedly, gesturing to the well-stocked kitchen thanks to my mother, who believed that Evan was going through a growth spurt, and therefore needed as much food as possible.

"I can find something," he said confidently, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry about before. I forget that you're so jumpy."

"It's okay," I muttered, grabbing a bowl and the cereal box and sitting next to a fully awake Brianna, who was gurgling happily as I filled her bowl. "Just don't eat too much," I called to Jared as an afterthought, thinking of Evan's terrible temper. One sarcastic comment or sentence that was taken the wrong way sent him storming through the house, slamming the door of his bedroom and blasting screaming music that hurt my ears. "Evan will kill you."

"You're brother?" He asked, sitting down across from me.

I nodded, trying to concentrate on Brianna rather than the much more appealing God sitting across from me. "Kid has a nasty temper."

Something I said made Jared look at me funny, setting his food down quietly and folding his hands on the table. "How long has your family lived here, Kim?"

"Um…" I squirmed a bit under his gaze. "I don't know, since the beginning of the tribe? That's a question for my mother or dad, not me."

He nodded, staring out the window, his eyes glazed over as he obviously saw something different from the forest and the bit of beach that I saw when I looked out. I shrugged it off and returned to feeding Brianna, who seemed to have transformed after sitting on Jared's lap. She took her food and ate it without any complaints or attempts at chucking the bowl across the room, which was a good start at her becoming a functional child.

"Is something wrong?" I finally asked Jared, worried about the prolonged awkward silence.

"No, nothing at all," he quickly denied, returning to his box of cookies he must have found in the back of the pantry. His dark brown eyes locked with mine, and I couldn't muster the confidence to continue the eye contact that had my insides flying. I stared back down at the table, absently toying with a dropped piece of cereal. I fed another piece into Brianna's mouth, still averting my eyes.

"But…uh, Evan, is that his name?" He asked before continuing. I nodded. "How old is he?"

"He's eleven, but will be turning twelve next week. Why?"

"No special reason," he said vaguely, and I saw his eyes wander the room, looking for a new subject, probably something to distract me. But he had said no _special_ reason, but that still meant that there was a reason, right? "Hey, didn't you say that you were going somewhere at two? It's one forty."

I blushed, looking down at my hands under the table. "Not anymore," I mumbled under my breath, thinking it was too low for him to hear.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked suddenly, surprising me when I hear anger in his voice. I looked up at him, trying to hide my shock. "Are you going with somebody else?" He asked, suddenly suspicious, the anger leaving his voice.

"N-no," I managed to get out, relieved when his shoulders relaxed and his eyes didn't look at accusing. "I just…usually go by myself. You know…alone."

Curiosity sparked in his eyes. "Why is that?"

I shrugged, trying to be vague as he was to me. "It needs to be quiet, and I need to be able to concentrate." I mean, hello! Nobody can concentrate with an Adonis sitting across from you, watching you're every move with a critical eye, probably ridiculing my painting.

"Do what?"

I made the mistake of looking into his eyes, losing myself in the depths of deep, comforting brown. "Paint," I said in what sounded like a small, feeble voice.

"Paint?" He repeated, shocking me with the way his voice seemed to caress the word, and for one second, I felt completely at ease with him, and that I would be able to paint with him. It was sort of a meditation type thing for me, and I easily went up to the ride for some relaxation and "Kim Time" every Saturday and sometimes Sunday. All of a sudden, I _wanted _him to come with me, not that I was going to tell him that.

"Uh…yeah. I'm not really good at it, it's just sort of…relaxing for me to do, especially with all the hectic people in my life," I laughed lightly and stood up, Brianna apparently finished. I dumped her bowl in the sink, grabbing some soap from the cabinet before turning the warm water on. He appeared beside me and grabbed a dishtowel, prepared to help. I handed him the spoon and bowl and hopped up on the counter, not really thinking about the fact that he was helping me in the kitchen.

"Well, skills or no skills, I'm coming with you." He said with determination, hopping up on the counter beside me. I nearly smacked the back of my head into a cabinet when his fingers touched mine, jolting me as if it was a hot coal making contact with my skin, yet it was still comfortable. I stared with wonder down at his hand, which he had moved half a centimeter away, where I could still feel the heat radiating from it. I looked up at him wide eyed, silently questioning.

"Kim," he began, his voice the exact same as before on the beach. My heart started beating quickly, and my breathing was coming out in gasps through my teeth, which were strangely clenched. Before I could control what was going on, my body reacted, scared out of its wits. I jumped off the counter, somehow becoming graceful Kim in my hurried and frantic movements.

"You said we were going to leave at two? Alright then, lets go!" I quickly rushed upstairs, hyperventilating.

_What is wrong with you, Kimberly Ann Chehalis!?!_

((Thanks for reading. That review button is calling your name…--runner))


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I quickly gathered all my painting materials; brushes, paper, little wooden stand that was barely holding itself together, and some colors. I threw it all together in my messy canvas bag and tumbled down the stairs, throwing my thin hair into a messy ponytail on my way down the stairs. I quickly bounced out the door, averting my eyes from Jared's extremely confused brown orbs, and walked purposely towards my car, intending on taking it to the outside of the forests and just hike the rest of the way. Jared could probably handle the small hike since one of his steps with his long legs was about three steps for me.

"Where are you going?" He asked, coming from behind me.

"To my car?" I responded, my words sounding like a question.

"Why?"

"To drive," I said with a bit of annoyance.

He rolled his eyes and was about to respond but the loud and nasal beeping of my phone signaled otherwise. I dug it out of my pocket, grimacing when I saw that it was my mother.

"Hello?" I asked, trying to maintain my composure. My mother would not be happy to know that I am having a boy over at the house while they're gone, let alone my father.

"_Kim?"_

"Yes?" I said impatiently. Who else?

"_Ah. Sorry. Your father, Grace, Evan and I our on our way home. I do hope that you have been watching your sister."_

My heart nearly jumped into my throat, and I stupidly nodded without realizing that she couldn't see me. I quickly turned, dodging Jared, who was being pointing at his mouth. "Oh right. Uh…yeah Mom. I have Brianna right next to me." He rolled his eyes at my lie and joined me as I raced back into the house, silently breathing a long sigh of relief as I saw her entertaining herself somehow at the kitchen table. I pulled her out of her chair and set her on the couch, settling down to properly talk without giving myself a heart attack.

"_Well, I was just calling to inform you of our eminent return." _

I rolled my eyes, painfully aware that Jared's body was sitting right next to me, slightly weighing the couch down to one side. He was watching me with some unreadable expression, his eyes surprisingly curious.

"Uh…yeah," I said dumbly, my breaths hitching in my throat.

"_Kim, are you okay?"_

"Fine. Absolutely fine."

"_Alright then. You may leave the house if you have any plans."_ It was hard not to notice the hidden question in her voice. I had never told anybody with the exception of Kaitlin and now Jared what exactly I did when I went on my mysterious trips during the day. My family always interrogated me on it, probably assuming that I belonged to some cult, but this was the one thing I held fast on. I wasn't about to give them a lifetimes worth of teasing material.

"'Kay. Bye Mom." I hung up the phone, biting my lip for a moment before turning to Jared.

"Well?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well what?"

"What did she want?"

I shrugged, standing up and tucking the phone into my pocket. I looked around the house, seeing it in all its messy glory. At least Jared had been polite enough not to comment on it. I internally grimaced as I returned my attention to him, something that was not hard for me to do.

"Anything specific?" He asked with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, dragging Brianna along with me. "They are on their way home, which means we have to make a run for it." I enjoyed saying "we" out loud too much for my own good. I cleared my throat to myself, reminded me that I needed to get Brianna back in bed and skedaddle out of here before an awkward situation made itself presence. I scooped her up in my arms and jogged upstairs, practically tossing a ruffled Brianna on her bed and giving her an apologizing peck on the head before sprinting back into the hall, hitting something very hard.

"Ouch!" I yelped, immediately jumping back.

"Kim! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

I nearly fell back down again when I heard Jared's voice. I had been expecting him to just stay downstairs and wait for me, and the thought of his just _waiting _for me sent my heart into palpitations. But he was actually upstairs, in my house, nearly two feet away from my bedroom.

Oh. My. God.

"Kim?" He asked a bit more frantically, shaking my frozen shoulders with his overheated hands. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to bump into you or scare you, I really am sorry!"

I looked straight into his eyes, which possessed his true emotions hiding in the deep brown depths, depicting things that couldn't be read without a closer look. He looked concerned, scared, and remorseful as if he had just committed some irrefutable crime. But somewhere, deep, deep down, there was a different emotion. Something that was completely foreign to me.

"Kim?"

Hearing his husky voice, I immediately snapped to the present, looking up at his handsome face, which was contorted into worry. I immediately felt guilty at having worried him so badly, and I wanted to hug him, and comfort to tell him that it was alright, and that he was entirely forgivable.

_You are in a very dangerous place, Kimberly Chehalis. _

I internally sighed, telling the tiny voice in the back of my head to shut the hell up.

But its words rang with truth. I was dangerously in love with Jared Haida.

((Review! I need to know what people think of this story! --runner))


	7. Chapter 7

((Sorry that it took me sooo long to update. I've been…well, I don't really have an excuse. I've been preoccupied, I guess you could say, with some other stories that have popped into my mind, but that's not an excuse. I really like this story, so I won't abandon it. Anyhoo….reviews. Keep them coming! It helps fuel the writing! --runner))

Chapter 7

"So," Jared boomed, making me flinch as his voice seemed to echo through his truck. "Where to?"

"Take a right here," I mumbled awkwardly, my voice sounding timid and scared. He looked over at me with furrowed eyebrows, but I diverted my gaze, pretending to be engrossed with the contents outside the window, none of which I hadn't already seen. He obeyed, the scenery turning in a splatter of different colors before it focused again as the car headed down Main Street. I refused to turn and look at Jared, and meet his deeply concerned brown eyes that would just make me spill my guts out, and make Jared run away screaming.

"Kim?"

Why was he always asking that? It was as if he was apprehensive of the answer, like some response would break him. But he also seemed like he was genuinely, sincerely, worried. I wanted to hit my head against the window.

I turned towards him instead, placing a fake tranquil expression on my face. "Yes?"

He stared at me with some confused expression, like he was trying to read through me. Finally, he asked in a soft voice, "Turn left or right?"

"Right."

He nodded and executed the turn perfectly, as if his eyes were on the road, but they weren't. The perfect brown orbs focused on mine throughout the rest of the drive, never once looking away. They were mesmerizing, and I felt enveloped in their emotions, burying my own somewhere far away.

Agh! Why did Jared have to do that?!

"Kim, where do you want me to turn next?" He asked me in a soft voice, my heart melting. I had thought myself strong, but I was weak to his demeanor. I hadn't wanted myself to get hurt, but all the odds are pointing that way.

"Just go straight," I ordered, my voice coming out in a soft whisper. I quickly looked away from his entrancing eyes, staring pensively out the window while biting my lips with enough force to thrust me teeth threw the skin. Why did Jared have to be so hot?

"Kim, we're at the end of the road."

I looked around again, nodding with ascent as I recognized the familiar landscape. Around the edges of the road, it was surrounded by ferns, and there was a small trail that started just ahead. I quickly got out of the car, slinging my bag over my shoulder, and made my way towards the opening. I heard Jared's door close and he was suddenly right next to me, looking around with wide eyes.

"You've been here before?" I assumed as I took the lead down the narrow trail, carefully stepping and keeping my eyes on the ground so I would trip and fall.

"Yeah," he said, almost a bit breathlessly. "You come here to paint? You come to the Mystic Cliff?"

I rolled my eyes at the corny name, but nodded. "Yeah. I used to have a dog, and we were walking in the trails over towards the south, about half a mile from here, and he got loose. I chased him all the way here, and found the cliff."

I glanced back at him, catching his stare. I paused unexpectedly, causing Jared—much to my embarrassment—to crash into me as his eyes were on me, not thinking I would stop. We both fell to the ground, his weight on top of mine comfortably. It was complete silent for one moment as we both stared in shock at each other, Jared's face within centimeters of my own. I felt his breath, warm as the rest of his body was as it lay on my own body, hit my face, its forest like smell lithely slipping into my mouth, the tantalizing smell mouthwatering on my tongue.

"Kim," he breathed lightly.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My vocal cords seemed to be busted along with my heart, which seemed to be beating a marathon.

"Kim," he repeated.

Finally I mustered up the courage to say something. "What?" I asked.

"There's something I have to tell you."

My heart nearly stopped, and a cold sweat broke out on my back neck. I always told myself that he wouldn't love me, that I was only a pity pleader and he was just doing this because he was an amazingly kind human being with god like hair. But deep down, I had always wished for what you dreamed about as a little girl. I dreamed that he would sweep me off my feet like a fairytale, that he would be my happily ever after. I always dreamt subconsciously that he would someday realize that the timid girl who had been jumping up and down screaming after the first day of school when she realized that Jared Haida, the man of her dreams since forever ago, would be sitting right next to her.

And now he was going to tell me that he had to go, that we would work on the project together as students who were forced together, and nothing more. Now he was going to tell me about that girl he was talking to Sam about, that she was the one for him. And all I could do was lay here, beneath Jared, and take it all in.

"It's kinda…big," he said, biting his lip. For the first time in his life that I had seen, he actually looked _nervous._

"Big?" I repeated in a whisper.

"Yeah."

It was silent for a long moment, possibly the longest in my entire life.

"What is it?"

He bit his lip, his eyes casting downwards as he avoided my eyes. I willed myself to gaze at his deep, brown, caring eyes, never releasing my gaze. "Jared," I breathed. His eyes darted to mine, widening when he saw my direct stare. I had never been this…confident. Even when, in this situation, there was hardly any other space to look at. "Please. Tell me." _Just get it over with. _

He sighed again, a long, torturous breath. "You've heard about the Quileute legends, right?"

Of course I've heard the legends, everything about the wolves and the souls of the native people. I nodded in confirmation.

"Good," he said, his warm breath with its musky, forest scent creeping into my mouth and grabbing at my senses. "Well, you know the…wolf legends?"

I nodded, confused on why he was giving me a history lesson. I'm pretty sure that every person who lives in La Push above the age of four knows the legends by heart. "Yeah. The legends say that our people are related to wolves. What does this have to do with anything, Jared? What do the wolves have to do with you?"

"A lot," he commented vaguely. I could feel his body shifting on top of mine with the nerves that he was somehow feeling.

"Do you plan on elaborating?" I asked with a bit of annoyance. I just _knew _that he was going to tell me to back off, that he has a girl that he likes. I just know that he's going to tell me that he's in love, and that I'm just dust. He didn't need to stall, as I was assuming he was when he was asking about the old legends. Most people didn't believe in those anymore; just the elders. And Sam, from what I've heard.

"Kind of," he answered.

"Jared…"

"I'm a wolf!" He blurted out all of a sudden, his words mixing together as his mouth continued. "I can turn into one. It's just me and Sam right now, but there are a lot of boys who have the potential, and it seems like they're getting dangerously close. I don't mean to worry you, but there's something about Evan. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading it wrong. But yeah, I can turn into a wolf. And…"

He continued, but I wasn't listening anymore. I don't think my ears were capable.

He expects me to _believe _that he's a wolf? An oversized animal that runs on four legs and has a snout? And fur? And is related to a dog? Does he think I'm stupid? Is he trying to pull one over on me? Did he and his idiotic friends get together and think, "Hmm, what stupid prank should we pull on Kim now?" How dare he think that I'm going to believe that he's a wolf?

For once I was glad that I was built the way I was. I quickly crawled out from under Jared, much to his surprise as he looked up at me with blatant shock, and started running back to the car. My heavy bag weighed me down, and I didn't care about anything at this point. Not pausing in my running, I swiftly took the strap off my shoulder and carelessly tossed it on the ground. I took off again, this time faster, and this time I heard pounding steps behind me.

"Kim! Wait! Where are you going? What's wrong? Geez, why don't you join the track team?" Despite his words of advice about me joining the track team, he easily caught up to me and kept up, running beside me and dodging all of the foliage. "Kim! What's wrong? What are you doing?"

Abruptly, I stopped. I was filled with anger, an emotion that was somewhat foreign to me. I usually didn't get angry; the other members of my family did that emotion more than enough, particularly Evan.

"Don't even try, Jared Haida! I have been in love with you since…since before I could remember, practically! And you just learned my name a week ago! I'm not going to stand here and pretend that you're in love with me! I'm done, okay! I wasn't born yesterday! Your guys' pranks are stupid, and immature. So just leave me alone. I am done with you, Jared Haida."

I turned, not looking back once, and left the forest, and Jared, behind.

Once I got back to my car, I wanted to bang my head against the steering wheel; I wanted to throw myself against the seat. I wanted to scream my head off. But I couldn't do any of it.

My heart still beat because of Jared Haida, but I think that it beat because of me as well.

((Not what you were thinking, eh? Review and let me know!--runner))


	8. Chapter 8

((So…yeah. Here it is, another update. I would like to thank everybody who favorited/alerted/reviewed this story! Much appreciated! --runner))

Chapter 8

"You okay?"

I nodded, staring down at the deflated nachos. The cheese tasted like plastic, and the chips were so drenched in the plastic that they were soggy and disgusting. I turned away from the tray with disgust, turning to look for him again. He sat alone today, at the opposite side of the cafeteria. I could see people staring at him, confused why the popular Jared would be sitting alone while the rest of his boisterous and seemingly growing friends sat at another table adjacent to ours. I spotted his bright red shirt, stretched out across his back and displaying the contours like a model.

"You're staring at him again."

I sighed and turned back to Kaitlin, who was looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Tell me what happened?" She offered, silently clasping her hands and widening her eyes while jutting out her lips. "Something obviously did, because I swear, that boy looks like he just witnessed his puppy getting run over. And he looks at you like…I don't know, you're the puppy. What happened?"

"Nothing," I repeated, trying to shrug it off.

"Nothing?" She repeated in a patronizing tone. "Nothing, nothing, nothing. Get a life and spill."

I groaned and smacked my head against the table. "Just let it go," I muttered against the cool table.

"Nope." She said nonchalantly, and I could hear her chugging down some milk and clearing her throat, probably preparing for another speech. I sighed and closed my eyes, massaging my temples with the throbbing headache I was getting. "I can't do that Kim, you know why?" I sighed as my answer. She didn't seem to care or notice. "Well, it's because _he _hurt _you_. _You _are _my _business, and since _you _are involved with _him_, then it makes _your _business, _my _business. Understand?"

I rose from the table, trying to repeat her words in my head. Nothing really made since, but one part stood out. "Whoa, Kate, hold up. I am not 'involved,'" I said, making air quotes around her words. "With _him_. You need to just…butt out. Yeah. Do that."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Kimberly. Come on. Out with it. You know you'll tell me sooner or later."

"No I won't."

"Yes you will. All the signs are there."

"What signs?"

"Well…" her face wrinkled as she scrambled to think of something. "You know _signs_."

I rolled my eyes at her horrible lie. She was just trying to get me to talk. "I'm not going to break down, you know. There's no use in trying."

Kaitlin scowled. "Please! I just have to know! He's hurtin' ya Kim. I have to know so I can help."

"That's nice to know, but I can handle it myself. And I'm not hurting. I'm just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night." Hardly any, actually. I kept getting this creepy feeling that I was being watched, although I had shut my blinds and closed the curtains, checked the closet twice, and walked around the house three times. Nobody had been up. I was just freaking myself out.

"But-"

Luckily, the bell cut off her next plea. I quickly took off to my next class, eager to get away from the devious and conniving Kaitlin. She was right; I usually cracked when it came to her. The fact that I was holding out this long was a miracle.

I survived gym, and I survived my sixth period, language arts. However, I was dreading last period. I knew from other students that we had to do partner work today in Mrs. Smith's class, and my partner was Jared. I considered speaking with Mrs. Smith about switching partners, but I could already imagine her response. It would be a simple and blunt _no_.

I wanted to run off campus when the bell rang. I shut my eyes tightly for a moment, focusing on my breathing, before standing on shaky feet and heading to history. I walked in with my head down, watching my shoes on the floor move steadily towards my seat. I looked over a little, seeing that Jared was already here. I took big gulps of air as quietly as I could. I turned back in my seat, looking up to see Kaitlin watching the both of us with a scrutinizing eye. Her eyes were trained on me, and I jumped when I felt why.

"Kim," Jared said in a low, urgent voice, nudging my shoulder again. Somehow, he had scooted over in his chair so he was closer to me without me hearing.

I pursed my lips, considered whether I should ignore him or yell at him. Being the person I was, I chose the option that involved less noise and possible argument. Stubbornly, I turned in my seat so his hot breath was hitting my back instead of my neck, and I set my notebook and pencil on my lap, which would evidently serve as my desk for today.

"Problem, Kimberly?" Mrs. Smith asked with a smirk and raise of the eyebrow. I cursed the woman for drawing attention to me.

"No," I said curtly, shaking my head and pretending to put a heading on my paper, although there already was one. I just wrote over it so it looked like I was busy. She took the poor acting and moved on.

"Class, you all need to get started on your projects. You _should _be working with your _partners_. You should be facing them and _talking _to them."

I sighed. I had the feeling that those words were directed at me without blatantly naming me.

I turned the slightest, silently handing a blank sheet of paper to Jared. I could feel his eyes on me, and I used the limited willpower I had not to look back.

"You're mad at me?"

There goes the willpower.

"You think? I guess the stomping out of the woods and the turning my back on you wasn't obvious enough."

"Maybe if you listened to me-"

"Maybe if you worked on the project we could get a good grade."

I watched his lips purse out of the corner of my eye as he stared for an extra moment before beginning to write on the paper. I didn't keep my eyes on him, just lowering my own head to begin taking notes on my own paper. It was silent for the duration of the period, the scratching of our pencils the only noise besides the talking and page flipping of other students around us. I cheated in my resolve though, glancing up at him through my lashes. Each time, as if he knew when I was going to look up, he was staring at me, his brown eyes looking like they were trying to convey something to me. I would always quickly look back down, getting back to work like the diligent Kimberly Chehalis did. It didn't matter how much I wanted to throw down my pencil along with my resolve, and ask him to just _explain_ everything to me, like why he would tell me something so ridiculous.

I glanced up at the clock, seeing that we had five minutes of class left, and began packing up my things.

"You can keep the paper," I said lightly, trying to sound unemotional and unattached. We were just partners for this project, and once it was over, it would go back to how it was before; no contact, no communication. "Make sure you bring it to class tomorrow in good condition."

He nodded, slowly, and I knew that he was trying to catch my eyes, but I purposely averted my gaze, making sure my brown eyes never met his. Mechanically, I slung the strap over my shoulder and watched as the thin red second counter on the generic academic clock slowly ticked down the seconds until the school was out for the day. I felt his eyes on me as I stared, and it took all I had not to turn my head.

"Kim-"

The bell rang and I ran out of my seat.

((So, somebody wanted me to do Jared's point of view, and after thinking about, I began to write his view of things for Chapter 9, and I…I don't know, there isn't a whole chunk of info about him in the Twilight saga…so, it will be just a tester. Anyways, review. Please. Tell me what you think of this chapter and what you think of possibly hearing Jared's voice. --runner))


	9. Chapter 9

Unfortunately, my laptop screen has broken! So…ALL of my documents are now gone, as the laptop is going to be replaced with a completely new laptop WITHOUT my documents. Literally, right now I am crying! All of those hours I put into those chapters…my words…everything…gone. So, as I hope you can understand, updates wont be coming for a bit. I AM SO SORRY! But, without my beloved sidekick with me, it's nearly impossible for me to write. At this very moment, I am in the public library computer lab and…people keep sending me these weird looks…so…yeah…awkward.

I am so sorry, and I really miss my laptop. And I'll miss you guys. When I can sneak in an update, I will…but…things seem…bad right now. My mom has informed me that it will be a while before I get a replacement…sniffle. I feel really weird crying in the library, so I think I am going to log off and go mope in the corner with a sappy romance novel.

My apologies,

Runner

**P.S. These stories are not forgotten. They are on hold. Keep faith in me! **


	10. Chapter 10

((Well, I'm back. Yep. Back in the creepy library. Thanks for all the sympathy with the whole laptop thing. It was really nice. Enjoy. Review. Be Awesome. --runner))

Her back was beautiful, of course. But it was agonizing to stare at it.

I silently cursed myself for picking seats towards the back of the classroom, while Kim chose seats towards the front. I could only stare from the opposite side of the classroom. It was like having the cookie jar centimeters away from your hand.

_Stupid idiot. You did this to yourself._

I sighed, resting my head on my hands. I felt somebody pat me on the back, and I looked up with confusion, rolling my eyes when I saw who it was.

Paul--no surprise here--enjoyed the powers of being a werewolf. He phased two nights ago while Sam and I had been on patrol, luckily. I was actually kind of surprised that Sam had let him come to school only two days after; he has the nastiest temper. Also surprisingly, he had kept it under control, not counting the time Jake snarled at him for something during class. It didn't really matter to me, though. Nothing seemed to.

"Pathetic," I heard Paul mutter under his breath. I didn't know what to say to that, because it did seem like that. Like I was a pathetic asshole who was an idiot for not going after "that girl". I had already received the talk from Paul and Sam, who were going all freak out on me for helplessly watching her walk further away each day. But the thing was, I _couldn't. _I was physically incapable of it. It hurt me, but I couldn't.

Because it's what she wanted. And I couldn't take that away from her. Because I loved her, believe it or not, my world revolved around one person. Kim Chehalis. The girl who doesn't want anything to do with me.

"Jared? Answer please?"

I looked up with confusion, glancing over at Paul, who gave me a look that said "You think I pay attention in this place?" I sighed, shaking my head.

"I don't have one."

The teacher shook her head. "Disappointing, Mr. Haida, very disappointing. May I point out that your grades have been dropping considerably? Or do you already know that?"

I didn't answer, simply turning my head away from the antagonizing teacher and staring out into the deep greenery that thrived all around La Push. I heard the teacher sigh, probably rolling her eyes, and then call on another student.

My head jolted back towards the front of the classroom when I heard her sweet, slightly shy voice.

"Um, it's…seventeen point five?"

"Excellent, Miss Chehalis, superb numbering. Perhaps you could teach Mr. Haida a thing or too, eh?"

I faintly heard the class laughing in the background, but again, I paid no attention to it. Because it was just like how I wanted to go after Kim, who I wanted to explain everything to her and hold her securely in my arms. She probably didn't want me to tell Mrs. Whatever her name was that she had already taught me a lesson, one that I would never forget.

But if Kim didn't want, I wouldn't do it.

JjJjJjJjJ

I was cornered by her sometime after lunch, when I had been walking glumly down the halls without paying any attention to the people around me. Most got out of my way, easily intimidated by my stature.

Of course, one person wasn't intimidated.

Her surprisingly strong arm locked around mine and shoved me into an empty, abandoned classroom.

"What the hell is-"

"I could ask you the same thing," she spat.

I looked down at Kaitlin Chetco and sighed.

"What do you want?" I asked, leaning against the wall. Ever since _she _began to ignore me, I hadn't felt any energy to really do anything.

She rolled her eyes, reminding me of second grade. She had been a dramatic one, and it looked like the trait hadn't left with age. "I want an explanation, and don't even think of asking me what it's for, because you know the damn reason for it. So spill. Now."

"Spill?" I repeated sarcastically.

"Do it or I'll make sure you have no children," she growled, making a point to look down at my pants and back up at me. Immediately, I straightened and pulled my jacket over my butt as if it would protect me from Kaitlin. She had been a legend for a few weeks in fourth grade when she punched Alicia in the nose (breaking it, might I add) for calling Kim a loser. I hadn't paid much attention to it, but now I wish I had.

"Fine. I'm assuming you want information on Kim?" I winced when I heard the choke in my own voice when I said her name.

"Oh no, not _on _Kim. I want information on what happened _between _you and Kim. She won't tell me anything other than nothing, and she is literally dying. I _have _to know what you did to her so I won't get put in jail when I rip you apart. Rational thinking always gets the jury, you know."

I rolled my eyes, smirking darkly. I knew that there was no way for her to rip me apart' I could pick her up with my middle finger. "There's nothing to tell you."

"Oh my god, are you guys like, twins? 'Nothing going on'," she mimicked in a ridiculously high pitched voice. "Just tell me, god damn it!"

I pursed my lips, my eyes traveling down to my shoes and concentrating on the dirt smeared across the front.

I heard her sigh.

"I didn't want things to go this far…but…there's something urgent I need to tell you. About Kim."

My head shot up. "What?"

"Well…I don't know…maybe you'd like to tell me what happened and then…?"

I growled under my breath. I had to know what was going on with her in case it was something dangerous. Since I couldn't keep a good watch on her, I needed minutely reports to keep me sane, and lately, nobody has been able to get me those.

"It's something…big."

My mouth reacted before I had to chance to think. "We got into a fight. I told her something stupid, something that offended her. What I said has to remain a secret, but I think she took it the wrong way. She ran off, left me alone in the forest. I don't think that she wanted me to come after her. Now tell me what's wrong with her."

"She's moving. To California."

"_What?_"

((Shock! Gasp! Oh no! Whatever is going to happen?? Review and tell me what ya think! --runner))


	11. Chapter 11

((So I tried something new this chapter. Hope you like it. Review. --runner))

Kaitlin POV

You know, Jared is pretty hot. In a way, I can _kind_ of see why Kim is completely in love with him.

But seriously, the guy is a total bitch sometimes.

I mean, don't get me wrong. In my opinion, if the guy is super hot, then that sort of cancels out other bad traits. But I don't think Jared is quite hot enough. He's no Andrew, of course, but nothing can compare to my Andrew.

Anyways, he is a bitch because he hurt my Kimmy. And it's as simple as that. Hurt my best friend, _you _get hurt.

That's exactly why I shoved him into an empty classroom when it was transition time, the time we were supposed to be using to get to our next class. I threatened him, of course, using the ultimate I'll-kick-you-in-the-spot-that-hurts threat. Worked this time, as it always does.

"Fine. I'm assuming you want information on Kim?"

That sparked something in me. I ranted off on him, informing him that I didn't want information on Kim; I wanted information on what happened between them. And what I heard surprised me, because it didn't sound like the Kim I knew.

"We got into a fight. I told her something stupid, something that offended her. What I said has to remain a secret, but I think she took it the wrong way. She ran off, left me alone in the forest. I don't think that she wanted me to come after her. Now tell me what's wrong with her."

Since I had made a deal with him that I would tell him what's wrong with Kim, who I surmised that he had recently became infatuated with by the way he was acting, I did tell him something. And that something was a big fat lie. Because the best way to evoke true, natural reactions from somebody who is rapidly changing (i.e. Jared) is to suggest a traumatic event about someone or something they love (i.e. Kim? That's what I was thinking. And you see the results.)

"She's moving. To California."

Not my best lie, that's for certain, but it certainly evoked a reaction.

"_What?_"

I could literally see the Jared I had been talking to for the past couple of minutes falling apart in front of my eyes. His brown eyes grew wide, and his hands began to shake. He fell back against the wall as if somebody had punched him in the gut, and a sheen of sweat grew over his face, like he was nervous about an upcoming exam.

"Yep, she told me this morning that her parents were moving the family to California because they were both offered positions at a prestigious law firm."

I watched him carefully, trying to find any breaks in his performance. But there wasn't any. Because, to tell you the truth, they guy looked like somebody told him that his mother was found dead. His face was growing pale, and it looked like a vein in his neck was about to burst.

"Um…Jared, you okay?" Now I was getting nervous. I mean, I know that my acting was ridiculously amazing, of course, but I didn't want to give him a heart attack! I have a feeling that if Jared died here under my power, Kim would kill me. She claims that nothing has happened, and she attempts to brutally ignore him, but I keep catching her stealing glances over at him, especially during lunch.

"She's moving?"

I nodded.

"She can't!"

"She isn't."

"I mean, Kim can't move. That's ridiculous! I need her to stay here! I will physically chain myself to her if that is necessary. She will not move away from La Push!"

"Jared, she isn't moving. I was-"

"She can't do this to me, she can't!"

"Jared, I really need you to listen-"

"Shit! I fucking messed up! Shit! I'm an idiot!"

"Yes I know that, but Jared you need-"

"Kim needs to stay!"

This was not going as planned.

"Jared! Please, listen to me! Kim isn't-"

"How can you let her move?! You're her best friend, aren't you? Stop her! Do anything!"

I sighed.

"Kaitlin! What the hell is your problem? Don't let Kim move! She can't…wait…what did you say?"

"I _said_ that Kim wasn't moving. If you had just listened to me, you wouldn't have had the freak attack. God, Jared, you were like shaking!"

"She's not moving?" He checked.

"No."

And suddenly I found myself pressed against the wall under Jared's death grip. I was having trouble breathing, both from his strength and from the scary look of anger in his face.

"What the hell is your fucking problem?" He literally growled. "Do you know what you just did to me, you idiot?"

"Sorry," I replied as sarcastically as I could manage. "I didn't mean to get your nerves all fluttery."

He growled again, and his freakishly hot hands pressed my shoulders painfully into the wood of the wall he had me pressed against. Now I was scared. I had never seen Jared like this…like he was going to murder me…painfully.

"You…stupid…" he snarled, not even bothering to finish the sentence. He didn't have to; my imagination had thousands of words that could be placed in that sentence.

"Sorry," I whispered hoarsely, fear dominant in my voice. "I just wanted to see if something was true."

His hold on me loosened slightly, giving me more air to breathe with. "What do you mean?" He asked, sounding confused.

I straightened a bit, intent on getting my dignity back. "I _mean_ that I wanted to see if you really are a puppy dog for my Kim."

His face contorted into shock and disbelief, which confused me. "She told you?"

"Technically, you told me."

He seemed to relax by that statement, his hold loosening the tiniest bit more. "Okay then. What did you see? Am I a puppy?"

I could tell by the small smirk on his face that something in his words was amusing to him, but I chose to ignore it. "In my findings," I said, clearing my throat. "You are. You are completely in love with her."

He stared at me blankly for a moment before slowly nodding his head in agreement. "I know that."

"Why the change of heart so suddenly?" I asked, angry that he only realized how much Kim was into him _now. _"What made you open your eyes to her?"

He pursed his lips, backing away from me and completely releasing me. I massaged my sore shoulders as he said, "There really aren't any words. I just _know_ that she's the one for me."

((Kaitlin is one of my favorite characters based off my best friend Kaitlin. They are very alike! Review please! --runner))

((Oh! By the way, my laptop is going to come home in two to three weeks! Hurrah! --runner))


	12. Chapter 12

**First things first:**

**THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/STORY ALERTS/FAVORITING STUFF THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE! GRACIAS!!**

**Second:**

**Thanks for sticking with me. This had been a long time a coming. As always, enjoy and review!**

"You _what_?"

Kaitlin held up her hands, widening her eyes to try and appear innocent. "Whoa girl, retract the claws."

My jaw dropped, and I glared at her, knowing that silence was key. Kaitlin had a retort for everything, so just glaring at her would be more productive than getting in a screaming match with her.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she dropped the feigned innocent expression. "I made Jared talk to me," she mumbled, staring down at my bedspread.

"I…you…stupid…why…fuck…shit…you…" I couldn't even string together a freaking sentence!

She looked up at me pleadingly. "Kim, please, you were suffering so I had to do something, so I did."

"You grabbed Jared out of the hallway and shoved him into an empty classroom and _forced_ him to tell you what was wrong by blatantly threatening him?" I asked, my voice growing louder with every word.

"Yes," she said in a very small voice.

I glared at her.

She tried to smile at me, but the expression fell from her face when she saw my expression.

"Kimmy-"

"Kim."

"Kim, look, I can't handle this anymore. All you do is mope. Yeah, the boy was a dick, a complete ass, but everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days. Everybody knows what I am talking about, everybody gets that way."

I scowled at her feeble attempt at lightening up the situation.

"Sorry," she said quickly, apologizing for her Hannah Montana stint. "But the lyrics ring true and magically rhyme at the same time—everybody does make mistakes, and believe it or not, I am totally convinced that the kid loves you."

"Do you even know what he said to me that day?" I asked.

She shook her head no. "When I talked to him, he said that what he told you that made you angry had to remain a secret."

I snorted. "Please. He told me he was a werewolf. I mean, how ridiculous is that? Does he think I'm an idiot? It's just some stupid fucking ploy he's doing with his friends because they probably enjoy messing with me! God, it's so fucking messed up! I mean…" I trailed off when I realized that I for once was doing all the talking, and that Kaitlin was completely silent. "Kaitlin?" I asked.

She had a troubled expression on her face, her forehead wrinkling almost like she was doing complicated math.

"Kaitlin?" I repeated.

"It makes sense," she whispered, not meeting my eye.

"What?" I asked. "Be kind; rewind."

"It makes sense," she said in a louder voice, meeting my gaze. "The werewolf thing."

"WHAT?"

_Is she fucking bananas?!_

"Well, I was doing some research for that history project, the one with Andrew," she explained, her expression looking dreamy for a second before she shook herself and continued clarifying. "And I found a book about Quileute heritage. Apparently, we've descended from wolves, which you already know from the legends, but do you know about the cold ones? Vampires?"

I nodded. I knew the legends by heart.

"Oh, well, you know that vampires kind of…stare the wolves, like, spur on the transformation. And I'm sure you've heard the rumors, the ones the Cullens."

I nodded again. People here were convinced that the Cullens were vampires, though I didn't believe them at all.

"Well, yeah, if the legends and the stuff that I read is true, and if the Cullens, are well, _vampires_," she whispered the words. "Then the fact that they reside near La Push would mean that…some of the boys would be…let's call it _changing _into werewolves."

I stared at her for five full minutes of complete silence before finally saying something.

"Kaitlin, are you okay?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying that maybe you should let him explain himself."

"Are you telling me that you think that Jared Haida is a werewolf?"

"I think it's a possibility," she amended with a grimace on her face.

"My own best friend turns on me," I muttered mostly to myself, falling back in my bed and placing the pillow over my face.

"I'm not turning on you," she disagreed, and I could feel her lying down next to me. "I'm just telling you what I think, and you know, you should trust the doctor's opinion."

"That makes no sense," I said, my voice muffled by the pillow.

"Well, you know what my mom does for a living, so I am just going to consider myself your doctor. And I am telling you to talk to him and let him explain things, so you should do it."

"Bossy bitch," I muttered, thinking that she wouldn't hear or understand me.

But she did, of course. "You know it," she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.

~~ -- ~~

I found the first rose on my doorstep.

The second was in my locker.

The third taped to the desk of my first period class desk, which had a typed out card that said "To: Kim—Sorry".

The fourth was waiting for me at the lunch table.

The fifth given to me by Paul, who smirked at me and then walked away.

The sixth and seventh were in my locker.

The eighth was somehow sneaked into my backpack during gym.

The ninth Kaitlin had, which she gave to me outside my last class, the one I had with Jared. The butterflies were frantically flying through my stomach, crashing into each other and creating more nerves.

"From Jared," she said in a sing-song voice and tucking it into my hair. I sighed and grabbed it, adding it to the bouquet I've had to carry with me all day, much to my embarrassment. "He says he's sorry."

I glared at her. "You talked to him again?"

She held up her hands for mercy. "Retract the claws please," she said.

I sighed. "Sorry," I muttered. "I blame it on stress and embarrassment."

"It's alright," she said, awkwardly patting my back. "It's romantic though, isn't it?"

I shot her a look.

"Look, even though you _say _that you don't like him anymore, that doesn't mean that you can't say that it isn't romantic, because damn girl, it totally is. Nobody here has ever done this before."

"Yeah, 'cause it's freaking embarrassing," I muttered, dipping my head a bit so my hair fell out from behind my hair, hiding my face from the curious glances coming from the other students and even teachers at my school.

I heard her sigh, and then, probably because she for once didn't really know what to say, Kaitlin opened the door for me, allowing me to walk in and take my seat, where I promptly found yet another rose.

That makes number ten.

I sighed, adding it to my bouquet. I knew that Jared wasn't here yet, so I subtly lifted the bouquet to my nose, not resisting the scent of roses. They were one of my favorite scents, despite being overly clichéd.

I stiffened when I heard the chair beside me being pulled out, making a grating sound on the tiling of our classroom. I quickly laid the roses down on my lap, knowing that my cheeks were burning as I felt a pair of eyes on me, specifically _his _pair of eyes.

Fortunately, before I could blurt anything to completely embarrass myself, Mrs. Smith started the class.

"Alright everybody. Today, tomorrow, and Thursday will be your last days to work on the research and write up of your project. You will get Friday and the weekend to work on presenting, and the presentations begin on Monday."

Somehow, Jared and I were already finished with the research of the project, though I don't know how, and we only needed to work on the final draft of our write up. Unfortunately, this meant talking.

_Crap._

"So you all need to get to work. This project is a large part of your grade, so get cracking." She smirked at us all and returned to her desk, looking over some paperwork. I sighed heavily and refused to make eye contact with him, slowly placing the roses on top of my backpack and staring at the tables that we used as desks.

"You want to get started on our final?"

I resisted the automatic urge to flinch at the sound of his deep voice, choosing instead to nod my head.

I did jump, however, when I felt his fingers lightly grip my chin, turning my head so I looked him in the eyes. We seemed to share an immeasurable moment, just staring at each other. His brown eyes were filled with such depth—I couldn't look away, although my instincts were yelling at me savagely.

Finally though, my nerve seemed to leave me. I laughed a bit dryly, sounding slightly hysterical and looked away, causing his fingers to drop from my face. I found myself missing the warmth his fingers brought, no matter how crazy and ridiculous that sounded.

"Lets get started then, huh?" I grabbed a slip of paper and began writing quickly, keeping my eyes trained down.

Surprisingly, we worked well together. He never crossed anymore lines, which I didn't know whether to be thankful or happy about, and we finished our draft as the bell rang. We could proof it and type it up tomorrow or Thursday.

"Hey Kim?"

I turned automatically at the sound of my name, my eyes widening when I saw that Jared was holding another rose.

"This is for you," he said softly, not seeming to care that now everybody knew that it was him giving me the roses, and that since this school was so small, our _reservation_ was so small, that everybody would soon know what he's doing.

"Thanks," I squeaked lamely, holding it in my hand. I couldn't help but notice that all the thorns seemed to be gone, as they were on all the other stems. That was…nice, thoughtful even.

He nodded, making an expression that it appeared like he was hesitating to say something, but then he was gone.

I sighed, looking down at the rose for an extra second before adding it to the rest and gathering them all in a pile.

That's eleven.

"Miss Chehalis, may I speak with you?"

I looked up, nearly knocking over my chair since I was in mid swing of putting my backpack on.

"S-sure," I stuttered, immediately nervous. I've _never _been talked to by a teacher before, because I was Kim; quiet, reserved, smart, shy, and overall a _good person. _

_Crap. Crap. Crap. _

I turned to look at Kaitlin, who had heard the whole thing, with a panicked expression on my face.

"I'll, uh, be outside," she said, giving me a half reassuring smile half worried smile before heading out the back door, leaving me alone with Mrs. Smith in the room.

I slowly turned to look at her with wide eyes.

Unexpectedly, she smiled kindly at me, looking the nicest I've ever seen her, and spoke in a warm tone, like she was my mother or something, which was extremely suspicious and creepy, all at the same time.

"Kim, you don't need to worry about anything. It isn't a bad thing that I've asked that we speak about."

_Is it a trick?_

Like she could read my mind, she quickly shook her head. "Teachers can be nice, you know. Sit down, please."

I immediately fell in my seat.

Mrs. Smith slowly stood up, meandering her way over to where I was and unexpectedly taking a seat at the table next to mine.

"Kim, I want to talk to you about Jared."

"_What_?" The word was out of my mouth before I could control it.

She nodded. "Yep. We're going to talk about Jared. Now I know that your mom probably doesn't approve of dating, because, well, this is La Push, you can't really hide things. So you most likely don't have anybody to talk to about _this_, unless you feel comfortable enough to talk to your sister about this?"

I shook my head.

She chuckled lightly. "I thought so. What do you think about Jared?"

"I…uh," I gulped audibly. This was really _awkward. _

"I won't tell anybody," she reassured me. Think of it as doctor patient confidentiality. Nobody will know what transpired today. And please don't feel weird about this. I know that you probably talk with Kaitlin about all of this, but I thought that you would maybe like the opinion of somebody much more…let's call it mature, shall we?" Even I chuckled at that; I could see her point. "So talk to me, Kim."

And I did. Because to tell you the truth, it was nice to just get it all out. To just _speak _and let somebody who didn't know my history and my full personality, and let them take their view in my "situation". And Mrs. Smith was a good listener—nodding occasionally at what I said and just letting me get it all out of my system.

There was an awkward silence, however, when I finally finished, about seven minutes later.

_Wow, way to keep it bottled up Kim. That flowed like extremely carbonated soda out of a shaken up bottle. _

"Kim. You love him. He loves you, obviously. I honestly don't see the problem. You are the one running and keeping both yourself and Jared unhappy, and you are the one who won't allow him to explain himself. You are as responsible for this as Jared. And, you shouldn't be so self conscious. You're a beautiful girl Kim, and I know that weird to hear from an adult, a teacher no less, but it's true, and you shouldn't have such a low self esteem. Right now, what really only matters is what Jared says, and you can't listen to what he's saying if you keep running. Running isn't going to get you anywhere, no matter how much sense that makes."

There was another awkward silence.

"I really do think that he loves you. In all my years, I have never seen a boy work so rigorously to get his girl," she added thoughtfully, smiling slightly at me. "Just give him a chance, okay?"

I nodded, still in too much awe to speak.

~~ -- ~~

I found the twelfth rose on my doorstep. It had a note attached to it, with Jared's writing on it. It looked to be a torn piece of blue construction paper.

_Kim, _

_So there's this bonfire coming up that I'm going to with the guys. _

_And I was wondering if you'd like to come. With me._

_I'd really like it if you came, although I know that you already know the Quileute legends, _

_it'd be awesome if you came. _

_Tell me what you think at school tomorrow. _

_Always, _

_Jared. _

I held the note up, reading and rereading several times.

_"Just give him a chance, okay?"_

Alright then.

**Sooo, hit or miss?**

**I know that I'm probably messing up this whole timeline thing, and that the bonfire should probably come later, like, during the summer, but I'm trying to speed things up. **

**Review with your thoughts!! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N – Sorry for the wait! Read and Review! **

"Oh! Um, hi...Mrs. Haida, uh...hey...um..."

This really wasn't part of my plan. At all.

It seems that back at my house, I must have experienced some sort of adrenaline rush, because after deciding that I would go with Jared to the bonfire thing, some voice in the back of my head just ordered my body to rush over to his house and tell him, right now, that I would go with him.

Yeah, I don't know what the hell is wrong with that voice either.

So, before I could even think about it, I was in front of his house, And just so you know, I only know where he lives because it's La Push – it's a small reservation.

"Oh shit," I mumbled to myself. The street was practically empty, the only sound of the occasional car door slamming from one of the neighbors and the trees rustling in the wind. "I need a plan,"I said, again to no one in particular.

And since my expertise in planning was no good, I decided to call up Kaitlin, who would be extremely happy and proud of me for being so spontaneous.

Only problem was, in my adrenaline induced spontaneity, I had forgotten my cell phone. I patted down my pockets frantically, probably looking like ants had crawled up my pants to the poor bystanders. And then, it had began to pour, and it was at this point that I realized that the spontaneity flame was slowly dying inside of me, and the pouring rain – I had forgotten my umbrella too, funny how that works, right? - was totally not helping.

So, in despair, I had worked up a plan of my own.

Step One – knock on door, Jared answers, I ask to use his phone

Step Two – casually, while waiting for somebody to pick up, mention that you can go to the bonfire, but be sure to say "If the deal it still up".

Step Three – get somebody to give you a ride home, smile flirtatiously and say something incredibly witty and charming to Jared, who will be amazed by said wit and charm.

I had no backup plans, which is where I screwed up.

_Reminder: backup plans are a MUST._

"Oh, Kimberly, it's so, so, so great to see you."

"Uh...yeah, uh – huh." What a brilliant response, Kim. I even forgot to correct her on the whole "Kimberly" thing.

"Ugh, can you believe this rain?" She asked, waving her hands around, totally oblivious to how soaking I was standing on her porch while she was sheltered by the now pounding rain. "It's crazy! It must have came out of nowhere!"

"Yeah," I agreed, barely able to speak with my chattering teeth. Could this get any worse?

"Mom? Who's at the door?"

Fuck my life. Seriously. Just...just let a freaking lightening bolt come and hit me now.

"Oh, Jared, look it's Kimberly! You remember her, right? How grown up you are, Kimberly!"

"Uh, yeah. I gotta go," I muttered, not even sure she heard me. I turned, my wet shoes squeaking against the pavement as I ran through the rain, shivering uncontrollably now. My clothes were drenched, dripping, and heavy, and my hair – though thin and wispy – stuck wetly to my face, the freezing water no help.

"Kim!"

I turned without fail at the sound of my name being called.

"Kim," he said again, walking out into the rain and not even noting that his clothes were getting wet. "Hey," he said once he was within a few feet of me. "What are you doing here?"

"Um," I coughed, trying to formulate an answer. _Remember, charming and witty. _"It's raining."

Great. Way to be obvious.

"Yes, it is," Jared said, no derogatory tones in his voice. It was almost as if we were having an amicable conversation. "It does tend to rain here a lot."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. But...u-um, I don't exactly have a...c-coat," I said, rubbing my arms in hopes that friction would create heat.

"Oh! Oh my God! Shit! I'm sorry!" He was yelling this frantically like a nerd that had just spilled juice all over his date's prom dress. "Shit! I'm so sorry! Let's get you into the house," he said hurriedly, like he was genuinely worried about me...

_Maybe he is_, a voice whispered. _Maybe he really, actually, literally cares for you. _

He wrapped an arm – a very hot arm – around my comparatively frail shoulders as he ushered me into his house, where his mother watching with a certain gleam in her eyes but also with a look of confusion.

"What's the...oh, wow, Kimberly, you're soaked."

_Thanks! I've only been like this for, I don't know, the past twenty minutes!_

"Y-yeah," I stuttered lamely, still rubbing my arms. Maybe wearing a t-shirt today hadn't been my smartest idea....

"Over here," Jared said quietly, leading me to a small couch that had several blankets draped over the top. He gently sat me down on the comfortable seat and wrapped several blankets around me. Although it was nice, I'm pretty sure that I looked like an Eskimo.

"Thanks," I said, blushing slightly and looking down.

"You want me to call your folks?" He asked, staring down at me with concerned eyes. I was shocked by how real everything seemed to be. For the longest of times, I had always thought that he was playing me, especially with the whole werewolf thing, but he seemed to have gotten over that. It must have just been a phase.

"Uh, sure." He quickly darted out of the room. "But do you know my number...?" My voice trailed off with confusion, because I could already hear him dialing into the phone that must have been in his kitchen, what appeared to be the next room over.

"I'll go get you some hot chocolate," Mrs. Haida suddenly announced, also running to the kitchen.

What's with these people and running to the kitchen to do things for me without really answering my questions or asking for my approval?

"Okay," I said quietly, feeling extremely awkward as I sat in Jared's cozy little house, wrapped up in vanilla smelling blankets as a small fire raged across from me. I could still hear the rain pounding the pavement outside.

"Kim?"

I looked up at the sound of Jared's soft voice. "Yeah?"

"Um," he looked nervous as he twirled the cord of the phone around his finger. "Your dad says the car popped a tire on your mom's way home for work, and so...she's going to be spending the night in Port Angeles, and your dad doesn't have a car."

"Oh," I said, unsure of what to say. "Um," I stood up quickly, stiffly placing the blankets back on the couch and shivering against the cold air. "That's alright. I can just, uh, run home. It's alright."

"No, no it's not," he disagreed, shaking his head vigorously. "You can just stay here." He turned back around and headed back into kitchen, the phone held up to his ear.

"Wait, no," I called, walking towards the kitchen. My clothes were still wet, but more stiff now. "It's okay. I can just...borrow an umbrella, or something. But only if that's alright with you," I rushed to say. I was standing clumsily in the kitchen between the towering Jared and his mother – who was my height – as she stirred milk over the stove.

"No, no, honey, that's alright. Jared will walk you over, or you could stay here," she said warmly, smiling at me before going back to the stove.

"Okay. Bye," Jared said into the phone. He placed it back on the receiver and turned to me, his eyes gleaming with a win. "Your dad said you could stay here," he said triumphantly. "I can walk you back in the morning."

"That's...that's really nice of you," I said. "But I...I can just walk back now, you know? It's okay. I didn't grow up here to be afraid of the rain," I said, laughing fakely.

"Your dad said that you should stay here," he said calmly, victory clear in his eyes. "So you'll stay here. Follow your dad's orders, right?"

"Um, yeah, sure. I'll stay," I said quietly.

"Great," he said, grinning charmingly. "I'll go make up my bed for you," he said, taking off down the hall.

"That's okay!" I called after him, wanting to go after him to tell him that I was perfectly content on the couch. "Um..."

"Go yell at him honey," Jared's mom said offhandedly. "Go right ahead. He completely deserves it."

"Right," I said, taking off down the hall. "Jared, wait. Come on, I can just sleep on the – oof!" I must have hit a wall. Wow, smooth Kim. "Ouch," I said, sitting up and rubbing my forehead. "Damn it."

"Never took you as a cussing person," Jared remarked, kneeling down beside me. "You okay?" He asked, great concern in his eyes.

"I, uh, yeah, I'm fine," I said. "God, is there a wall there, or something?" I asked, feeling dizzy as I reached out into the air.

He smirked. "No," he replied. "You ran into me."

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry!" I yelped, mortified as I scrambled shakily to my feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'd be more worried about yourself," he said, his warm hand gripping my shoulder. "Took a pretty hard hit."

I sighed. "Go ahead and laugh."

He burst out in short laughter – a beautiful, rounded sound. I couldn't help the small smile that lit up my face as I realized that I made him do that, create such a beautiful sound.

"Come on," he said, still a smile on his chiseled face. "My room is right over here."

Wow. After all these years, I was in Jared's bedroom. It was just how I pictured it too – black sheets, dark blue walls, small vanity tucked into the corner that held various stacks of papers, books, and broken pencils. It even had the stained cream carpet I had imagined.

"Really, Jared, I don't need the bed. I just...a couch would be fine," I said, tentatively sitting down on his bed and staring at my hands. When I didn't hear his response, I peeked up through my lashes at him.

He was staring at me with an unusual look in his face.

"What?" I asked in a whisper.

He let out a loose chuckle. "Yeah, sorry. I guess...I, uh, just never imagined that my dream girl would be sitting on my bed."

I felt my jaw slacken as I computed his words. "I'm not...I'm not your dream girl," I said quickly. "No," I said, shaking my head. "Definitely not dream girl material."

"Each different boy has a different dream girl," he said, casually sitting by me. "I think your my dream girl."

I stared at him for a moment before jumping off the bed. "Okay, well, it's late. I'm going to bed, and, uh, I'll be sleeping on the couch, and you'll be on the bed and -"

"You'll be on the bed," he interrupted.

"It's not my bed, so you'll be-"

"Sleeping on the couch while you -"

"No, I'll be sleeping couch and you have to sleep on the bed because you're too tall to sleep on the couch!"

"No, no, you are the guest so you'll be sleeping -"

"Hot chocolate?"

We both turned to stare at the intruder – who really wasn't an intruder because it was Jared's mother.

"Ma!" Jared complained loudly.

"What?" She asked gleefully, smiling widely as she held up the tree of two steaming mugs. "It's cold outside," she said, shrugging and flipping her gray- black hair over her shoulder. She stared at her son before rolling her eyes and turned to me, her natural warmth beginning to get to me. "Would you like some, dear?"

"Yes, please. Thanks, I love hot chocolate," I said, smiling with a bit of embarrassment before taking a mug, using it to warm my hands and sip gratefully.

"You're welcome," she said before turning to glare at her son. "At least _somebody_ is thankful of my efforts," she said pointedly.

"Hey, Mom, come on! I am grateful!" Jared wheedled. I followed them both as they continued to argue playfully into the kitchen, setting my cup down at the kitchen table and taking a seat.

"So you'll be staying here for tonight?" She asked.

"Yes," I responded, swallowing the warm chocolatey goodness.

"She'll take my bed."

"I'll be on the couch."

I glared at him, and he levelly responded my look.

"Bed," we said in unison, pointing at each other.

"Couch," we both said at the same time, pointing at ourselves.

"I'm not taking your bed," I said with exasperation.

"Uh, yeah you are," he responded. "Guests -"

"Should be treated with respect, so that means that I should get to choose where I'll be sleeping and I choose the couch."

"What? No! No way!"

"Yeah – huh," I replied.

"Nah – uh!"

Shaking her head, Mrs. Haida remarked, "You two are like an old couple!"

"We're not a couple," I said.

Smiling to herself and shaking her head, she walked out of the kitchen and yelled "Goodnight!" before slamming the door to what I assumed was her bedroom.

I sighed and then turned to Jared. "I'm taking the couch, you're taking _your _bed."

"Kim, come on."

ignoring the thrill that went through me as he said my name, I shook my head. "Don't deny it," I said, interrupting whatever he was going to try and convince me with. "Goodnight Jared," I said, smiling at him as alluringly as I could before sauntering out of the room.

I laid down a blanket and sat down on the couch, wondering if I should turn off the fire or just leave it on. I had just decided to leave it on and spread out on the couch when Jared walked in, leaning against the doorway.

"Can I help you?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable."

"I'm fine."

"Great," he said, smiling at me and saying no more. He stared at me and I stared back, at a loss of what to do.

"Um, Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"You're kind of creeping me out."

"Oh, sorry. Right, night," he said, walking over to quickly kiss me on the cheek before fleeing the room, but not before I could see his cheeks heat up, like mine were now. On his way out, he shut off the fire – turned out it was automated. Whatever. The room was completely dark now, and silent beside the sound of the still pounding rain.

I sighed, pulling a couple of the blankets over me and taking care to remove my shoes and socks. My clothes would be all stiff and gross in the morning, but weirdly, I was okay with that, because I was here, in Jared's house, sleeping on his couch, with Jared in the next room over.

And I was okay with that.

**A/N:**

**Okay, y'all. There isn't going to be a whole lot more drama after this. I know, I know – I've been gone for FOREVER! And I 'm soo sorry!**

**I wanna thank ALL OF YOU for reading and reviewing this story! It makes me feel all fuzzy inside!**

**Review please!**

**– runner **


	14. Chapter 14

_**Read and Review please!!!**_

_It was silent. _

_Nobody was here, in the forest, with me. Weirdly, it wasn't raining, and the leaves were dry. The ground fine, not slippery at all as I walked through the forest, my hands thrust deep into my jacket – at least I remembered one this time – and my feet safely tucked into a pair of boots. _

_I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that I was in La Push; I recognized these forests. _

_"Kim. Over here." _

_I froze, my heart pounding in my ear. _

_"Kim. Here! To your right." _

_I turned slowly, almost afraid of what I would see. _

_But there was nothing to my right, just a large fir tree. _

_A deep voice chuckled. Jared? _

_"Up," it called. _

_I tilted my head back slowly, my jaw dropping when I saw that Jared was, in fact, up there, talking to me. But why the hell was he in a tree?_

_"Jared?" I asked incredulously. "What are you doing?"_

_He grinned mischievously. "Hanging out," he shrugged nonchalantly, as if swinging lithely from tree branch to tree branch was a day to day occurrence. "Why don't you join me?"_

_"Oh, no. No way," I said, shaking my head resolutely. "Last time I climbed a tree, I fell. Hard."_

_"That does happen when you aren't careful," he said, a crooked smile on his face as he began descending the tree, moving gracefully."But don't worry," he assures me."If you fall, I'll save you." _

_I snorted, taking a step back from the tree. "Please, you'd have to have super strength and speed to do that." _And you'd have to be extremely close to me at all times_, I added silently in my head. "I doubt your reflexes are that good."_

_His smirk grew more pronounced. "Trust me, you don't need to worry about my strength. Werewolf, remember?"_

_My heart stuttered. _

_"Oh, shit. Sorry."_

_"I-it's fine," I said, looking down at my feet. Suddenly a hand appeared in my line of vision. _

_"Take it?" Jared said, shocking me when I look up – his face was inches from mine. Wordlessly, I nod, my own small hand shakily gripping his large, warm hand. _

_Easily, he hoisted me up to the first branch, his other hand immediately gripping my waist to steady me. _

_"Easy enough, right?" He said, flexing his arm slightly. _

_"Showoff," I muttered, shaking my head but stopping as that causes me to sway on the tree branch, and that is not a chance I am willing to take. _

_He chuckled lightly and effortlessly lifted me up to the next highest branch, his hands placed on my hips the entire time. He joined me on the branch seconds later, unaffected by the creaking of the old branch. He rolled his eyes when he saw my fear. "It's an old tree," he explained to me like I was a child. "You're such a worrywart."_

_"Hey!" I yelped, losing my balance for a moment and gripping his large forearms. My fingers couldn't even grip all the way around his arm. _

_"Come on," he said, placing me on the next branch. _

_And it went on like this. He would place me on the branch, and we would banter quietly about one matter or another. Sometimes it would be silent, but it was comfortable. I didn't feel awkward, or like I should fill the silence – which I wouldn't have anyways. _

_"And here...we are," Jared said, climbing up next to me. I stared at him for a minute, trying to grasp what he meant. "We're at the top," he clarified. "Look around you."_

_"Oh," I said, gasping softly as I looked around me. I could see not only La Push, but the ocean __as well. If I had my painting stuff with me, I would have been lost in the art already. _

_"Kim?"_

_I turned, looking at Jared. _

_"Do you think....do you think that we could..." his eyes glanced behind me and widened at what he saw. _

_"What?" I asked, twisting around behind me. A black blob was approaching me, fast. "What the hell is that?"_

_"That's a...that's..." He couldn't form the words. _

_As it quickly approached, I finally realized what it was. _

_"Is that...a bat?"_

_"Kim, watch out!"_

_And suddenly I was falling._

_"Kim! _Kim!"

"Oh my God!" I yelped, twisting around and snaking the sheets around my legs and arms.

Wait...sheets?

"Kim! It was just a dream! Just a dream!"

I closed my eyes as tightly as I could, wondering how the hell anybody's voice could sound so raspy and _heavenly _at what felt like six in the morning.

"Kim, I know you're awake. Open your eyes." His voice sounded amused. _And sexy. _

I sighed, leaning my head back and yelping when it smacked down on the floor. Granted, it was carpet floor – carpet that had a funny smell to it – but it still hurt like crap.

Wait.

The living room where I fell asleep had wood flooring...

My eyes flew open and I sat up, unable to stand properly since the sheets had captured all my limbs. I looked around myself, not recognizing the room I was in at all.

_Oh my God, I've been kidnapped. Oh my God, oh my God._

"Kim?"

I screamed, attempting to jump to the side but unable to. The sheets, like pesky plants in Harry Potter, clung to my legs, causing me to fall over and make contact with the carpet, again, and much more painfully this time too.

"Kim!" Jared yelled, rushing over to me and kneeling beside me. I could feel his presence, but I couldn't see, since my eyes had squeezed shut from the force of the impact. "Damn girl, we really need to work on the reflexes and the whole jumpy thing."

I felt his strong hands grip my shoulders and shake me gently, careful not to hit my head on the carpet again.

"Open your eyes, Kim."

Slowly, I opened them, meeting melted chocolate orbs that would forever be ingrained in my memory.

"Hey," he said softly, cradling me against his sculpted chest, which I could feel through his...tank top, which showed off not only his muscled arms, but also his tone chest.

"Morning," I managed to squeak. Quite an accomplishment, really, if you ask me.

He smiled his gorgeous, movie star smile at me and slowly stood me up, disentangling me from the clingy sheets.

"Thanks," I said softly, smiling sheepishly.

"Anytime," he said breathlessly, his warm breath hitting my tongue. Jared didn't seem to possess morning breath.

"Jared?" I asked, my own voice shaky.

"Mmmm?" He hummed, his head tilting to the side as his face moved within centimeters of me.

"Why the hell am I in your room?"

"Oh," he said, jerking his head back suddenly. His face flushed, and he looked down at his bare feet.

"Oh?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and raising a brow.

"Uh...you looked cold, in the living room, and you kept shivering and I felt bad so I moved you to my bed," he said, muttering his explanation in a rush.

"Really?" I asked, trying to contain my amusement and inner thirteen year old, who was trying to give me a high five. He nodded bashfully, looking like a repentant two year old; dorky and adorable. "Were you checking up on me in the middle of the night?"

He nodded again, still avoiding my gaze.

"Why?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I was worried about you." He looked up at me then, his brown eyes flashing fiercely. "I'm never going to let you get hurt again."

I stared at him for a minute, holding his gaze with my own fierce look. Some little, shy voice deep down inside of me couldn't help but whisper, _He's perfect for you. Like two little puzzle pieces. Aww!_

Smiling at him, I shook my head. "You don't have to worry about me. But...could we, do something?" My heart stuttered as I thought about what I was going to ask.

His head snapped up and his eyes widened, staring at me cautiously. "Sure, what?"

"Um, can we go back to bed?"

He was stoic for a moment, before a wide grin broke out on his face. "Definitely."

I giggled and stumbled over to the side of the bed and climbed in shyly, conscious of the fact that I was still dressed in my clothes from yesterday. A glance at the clock told me that it was near four o'clock in the morning. We didn't have school today, so it was pointless of preparing for the rest of the day.

Jared climbed in next to me, the comforter only covering him from the waist down. Really, with the body warmth he was emitting, I doubt that he would even need a blanket.

It was cozily quiet for a while, but soon, I realized that I was fully awake – as was Jared – and that the silence was beginning to annoy me.

"I had a really weird dream," I said in a quiet voice, not wanting to completely break the pleasant silence.

He turned to look at me, concern forming on his face. "What? What happened?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling the feminine need to put the "manly man" in his place. "Jared, honestly, you can't protect me from my dreams. So don't even go there," I said, giving him a stern look. He just rolled his eyes at me and nodded for me to go on.

"Anyways, I was..." feeling embarrassed that I dreamed about him, I decided to be slightly vague on who accompanied me on this dream. "...with somebody, and we were climbing this really tall tree. This...person was helping me up, you know, carrying me from branch to branch, and then we get to the top. And we're in one of the old fir trees, one of the ones in the forests around La Push, and you could see everything from that tree. It was beautiful."

"Doesn't sound weird," Jared commented, his eyes tight.

"I wasn't finished," I frowned. "And then, that person is just about to ask me something, but then something was...like, flying at me, but really fast, like inhumanly fast."

"What was it?" Jared asked, an unnameable emotion in his eyes.

"Oh," I said, a bit taken aback by his expression. "Um, it was like a huge bat." I couldn't help but snort at myself. "Like one you would see in cartoons, where a vampire turns into one of those bats."

Jared was silent, a blank expression on his face. Suddenly, I was regretting sharing this story with him. It was awkwardly silent for several minutes.

"So," Jared said, his voice raspy. "Let me see if this is right," he said. "You dreamed about having somebody carry you up a tree to the very top, only to be knocked down by a...vampire bat?"

I laughed shakily. "Well, when you put it like that..." I shrugged, feeling like an idiot for sharing this with him. "Sorry," I muttered, hiding my face in the large, fluffy pillow.

Warm arms wrapped around me. "Don't be, Kim. Not at all."

"I upset you," I whispered against his chest.

"My fault," he said quickly. "I overreacted."

"What's to overreact about?" I asked, confused.

His chest shook with silent laughter. "Maybe I don't like that you were dreaming about somebody else."

I shook my head, burying my face deeper into his chest. "I only dream of you," I whispered, wondering if he could even hear me.

I felt his body melt against mine, and his face buried into the crook of my neck, deeply inhaling my skin.

"And I only dream of you, Kim."

Oh. I guess he heard me.

Okay, that's embarrassing.

Like he could read my mind, Jared's lips quirked up against the sensitive skin of my neck. "Don't be embarrassed," he said, his lips moving on my skin. "I'm not."

"We're two entirely different people," I said reasonably.

"Opposites attract," he retorted, smiling.

I thought about that. "Touche."

He chuckled. "Yes, touche."

~*~

**Jared POV**

Wow. To think that this brilliant creature grew up with me, spent her entire life with me. I had been oblivious to her.

It was times like these when I loved being a wolf.

_Jared's got a __**girlfriend! **__Jared's got a __**girlfriend!**_

And it was times like _these _when I fucking hated it.

_Aw, come on man! Don't be like that! I'm just happy for ya. _

I sighed, my breath wafting out into the air. It was around seven – Kim and I had stayed in bed ever since her little panic attack, and now, she was helping my mom – who was probably regaling her in my finest moments as a child – make breakfast. I had come out here for a quick check in with the pack, but only Paul was in his wolf form at the moment.

_Happy for me? Please. When pigs fly._ I thought back teasingly.

_Whatever_, Paul retorted. _Why don't you phase back so you can go spend time with your Kimmy?_

_It's Kim_, I corrected automatically.

_Whatever. Hey, wait man. Is she coming to the bonfire?_

My heart lurched. Kim hadn't even mentioned the bonfire.

_Ooh, a little insecure, are we Jare-bear?_

_I'm leaving now. _

_Give ya girl a big smoochie for me, kay?_

_I'm not even going to respond. _

_But you just did, Jare-_

I quickly phased back into human form, having perfected my timing with practice. Like a routine, I pulled my jeans back on, and a shirt this time, since I knew my mom didn't like it when I ate without a shirt. Plus, I had an actual girl in my house, and I dress to impress.

I jogged back to the house, glancing up at the sky and taking note of my surroundings. It seemed like a storm was brewing.

I swung the door open and let it slam shut behind me, my nose assaulted with the smells of bacon, eggs, and toast. My stomach let out a loud groan, reminding me that it had been two hours since my last snack, when I had shared an apple with Kim.

_Kim. _

I walked silently to the kitchen, leaning against the wall to observe.

Kim bustled happily through the kitchen, looking practically at home with a glowing smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed red since the oven was at full blast, but she couldn't get any more lovely. And my mom kept smiling at her too as they worked together to cook a large breakfast, most of which would be inhaled by me.

"Jared, stop staring and actually do something," Kim said, absently stirring the eggs.

"Jared," my mother said decidedly as I obliged Kim, stepping up to pour glasses of orange juice. "I like this girl. Keep her."

I saluted my mom, earning a giggle from Kim.

_That giggle will be the death of me. _

I set the glasses down at the small kitchen table, grabbing forks and knives along with digging through the refrigerator, grabbing various ingredients to add to my breakfast.

Kim made a face. "You're not seriously going to be putting all of that on your eggs, are you?"

My mom patted her arm comfortingly. "Don't worry honey. You get used to it after a while." She's had to live with my antics for years, and it's only gotten worse after phasing.

Kim had an odd expression on her face. "You okay?" I asked her, setting the bottle of ketchup on the table.

She looked up at me and must have realized what expression was on her face. Immediately, it contorted into a generic happy expression, though it still looked too dazzling to be human to be on her face. "I'm fine," she replied, shooting me one other smile and turning away to pour the eggs onto a large serving plate. She moved quickly, like a waitress at an old diner.

She glanced back at me, her cheeks burning adorably when she saw that I was looking. She looked back at the plate, bringing it over to the table and returning for the bacon. "I have a big family," she said self-consciously. "And I'm the oldest."

My mom sighed as she sat down at the table, watching Kim affectionately. "I wish I had a big family," she commented wistfully, sipping on a cup of juice.

"But you got me, Ma," I said, cheerily joking. My mom gave me a funny look as Kim sat down with the bacon and toast, scooping herself some food and commenting nonchalantly.

"She said big family, Jared, not an abnormally huge child who enjoys putting..." she squinted down at the bottle of red sauce I was currently pouring in my eggs. "Chili garlic sauce on their eggs." She made a disgusted face and poured a tiny little bit of salt on her eggs.

"I like the flavor," I said, defending myself as I shoveled eggs into my mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she quipped, glaring at me.

"Right," I said, swallowing and nodding. It was silent for a moment as we all ate our food. I happened to glance up at my mother, who was watching us both with an amused look on her face.

I set down my fork – a hard thing to do with a plate full of steaming deliciousness in front of you – and stared back at her. "What?" I asked uneasily.

She shook her head at me before turning to Kim, who had her eyes trained on her plate as she seemed to contemplate the contents of her glass.

"Kim darling?"

She jerked her attention away from her glass, looking up at my mom with wide eyes.

"Jared will walk you home, right?"

"Oh, uh, ask Jared," she said, looking over at me nervously.

"Of course I'll walk you home," I said automatically, picking my fork back up.

I didn't have to look up to know that Kim rolled her eyes. I could nearly mouth her next words.

"It's unnecessary," she said hastily. "I can walk myself home."

"In the rain?" My mom asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh," Kim said, looking a bit shocked. "It's raining?"

"Poured through the night," she confirmed, winking conspiratorially at me.

Did I mention that my mother was my second favorite person the the whole world?

~*~

"Really, you don't-"

"But I am, Kim, so get used to it," I interrupted. That girl was taught too many manners.

We walked out onto the small porch, and I popped open a large black umbrella.

"It was lovely seeing you Kim," my mother said warmly, taking a stiff Kim into her arms. I tried to cover up my laughs with coughing, but I knew Kim wasn't convinced. "I'll see you again, right?" She patted her lovingly on the cheek before closing the door in her face, not even waiting for an answer or a goodbye.

Kim stared at the door before turning to look at me, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is she always like this?" She asked, completely flustered.

I smirked. "Yeah, well, she's always wanted grandchildren, so..."

_Did that slip out?_

Kim looked at me, her eyes wide and jaw dropped.

"I mean, uh, let's just walk you home, alright?" I asked, chuckling nervously and running a hand through my stubbly hair.

She nodded, shutting her mouth and stepping out into the rain. It was only a light drizzle, but rain is rain, right?

We were silent for most of the walk. I couldn't stop glancing over at Kim, wishing I could go back in time, take back what I had said.

_You don't even have the girl, Jared. Why the fuck did you bring up grandchildren?_

Uh, 'cause I'm stupid?

"What was that?" Kim asked, looking up at me with confusion hazed brown eyes.

"Nothing," I muttered.

_You ARE an idiot. _

"Hey Jared?"

She had whispered so softly I almost hadn't heard her. Almost.

"Yeah?" I asked.

She glanced up at me apprehensively.

"You know that, uh, bonfire thing?"

_Oh my God. She's gonna say no. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. _

"Yeah?" I asked, my own voice warbling.

"Is the..." she looked down, seeming to be gaining confidence. She looked back up at me, her brown eyes calm. "Is the offer still standing?"

"Of course," I answered immediately.

"Then..." she didn't seem to know how to finish the sentence. "Then..."

"You'll...?" I asked, on edge .

"I'll...go..."

"With?" I supplied.

She nodded. "I'll...go with..."

"Me?" I whispered, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

She nodded, stopping too. "Yeah," she said, blushing furiously. "I'll go with you."

"Cool."

"Yeah."

We grinned at each other.

"Are you guys gonna make out?"

Kim froze and I stopped myself in time to not hit noses with her. I groaned, recognizing that voice.

"Paul," I growled, spitting his name like it was a vulgar word. It might as well be; lately, Paul's been taking advantage of his new werewolf physique with the ladies, and since our minds bare all once we go into wolf form, I've been subjected to many images and playbacks.

"Hey man," he said, smirking as he stepped out of the forest barefoot and onto the sidewalk. "Hey, I'm Paul." He held out a hand to Kim, whose eyes were bulging out of her head as she took in Paul's huge size.

"Kim," she said meekly, her dainty hand engulfed by Paul's oversized paw.

"I know," he chuckled, looking at me obviously. "I've heard."

Kim's eyes widened even more. "Good or bad?" She asked nervously.

He smirked. "I'll let Jare-bear here tell ya. Anyway, I gotta be going. See you later man. Nice to meet you Kimmy."

"It's Kim," we both corrected in unison.

"Right..." Paul said, smirking and shaking his head as he disappeared back through the woods. "See ya," he called, and I could hear him chuckling to himself.

I shook my head, looking apologetically at Kim.

"It's fine," she assured me, still looking a little pale.

We stood awkwardly for a few moments, one of us opening our mouths to say something before shutting our mouths. We probably looked like fish in a bowl from the onlooker's perspective.

"Do you know how much a polar bear weighs?" I blurted.

Kim looked at me strangely, shaking her head.

"Enough to break the ice."

She stared at me. And I was about to take off and run, but then she started giggling.

_And that damn giggle is the mother fucking death of me. _

"Did you just say that?" She said, laughing.

I nodded, my cheeks on fire.

She giggled one last time and shook her head, her eyes shining brightly as she lightly placed a hand on my arm. "I'll see you later, Jared," she said, looking up at me from under her lashes shyly. "Thanks for walking me home," she whispered, surprising me as she jumped up quickly and kissed me with her soft lips on the nose. "Bye!" She says, running around the block. I wait on the sidewalk, unable to move, until I hear Kim's door slam.

Paul reappears, grinning at me.

"What?" I ask dumbly, still in awe of the girl who has been beside me for practically my whole life.

He made a whipping motion with his hands.

I shake my hand at him, knowing that my cheeks were probably a bright red at this point. "Shut up!"

**A/N:**

**Ah, young love. How adorable. **

**Be kind and drop me a line, would ya?**

**-runner**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I would highly suggest reading the bonfire from Bella's point of view as a review of sorts for this chapter. It's on pages 229 – 259 in _Eclipse. _I would also highly suggest reviewing. It makes me happy.

***Legend dialogue provided by the queen, Stephenie Meyer. All hail the creator. **

**Kim**

His voice was rich, deep and pure. It held a certain tone of authority, like his voice alone would be all he needed to capture your attention, and it was. I've ran into Billy around the rez, and he was always pleasant, even as he had to start going around in his wheelchair, but here, around the crackling fire, surrounded by Quileutes and Bella, Jacob's love of sorts, he was king.

"It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifters – that came later. First, we were spirit warriors."

I looked over at Jared, slightly confused. I was rather tired – being engulfed in Jared's body temperature could do that to you – so maybe I was just hearing things that weren't actually being said.

"Shape-shifter?" I mouthed, confused. I'd heard these legends before, of course, but never by a true Quileute elder, the people who held the highest of respect in our reservation.

"Just listen," he whispered, comfortably wrapping his arms around my stomach and pulling me closer to his chest. I resisted the urge to shiver in delight at being so close to his overwhelmingly delicious scent. I don't even remember how we got into this position, but you won't hear me complaining. Besides, it felt _right. _

I turned back to Billy and tuned into the story.

"The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off."

A small sense or pride flashed through me, knowing that although our people were small, we were strong, even if these legends weren't actually real.

"Taha Aki watched with despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then the changes began – Utlapa's fist edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world he claimed that he'd had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid. He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story."

I glanced around the circle, noticing how everybody was riveted with Billy. I had never seen this side of him – the strong Quileute. I had only seen the man in the wheelchair.

"The great wolf followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for its kind, and beautiful. Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness."

I couldn't help but stiffen at the mention of the wolf. Although things were good between Jared and I, there had been no further talk about his claim to be a werewolf. Jared's grip on my tightened, like he thought I would run away. Maybe a few weeks ago, he would've been right; I would've run. But now, I could only realize that life without Jared would be like how life was for those who were spirit warriors – disorienting, uncomfortable, and horrifying.

"Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and – before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa – transformed into a man."

I could feel Jared shaking slightly behind me, his grip tightening to the point of pain.

"Jared," I whispered, tapping his hands on my waist. I would have bruises there tomorrow.

"Sorry," he muttered, avoiding eye contact. It was like we were there, in the woods where he told me all about how he was a werewolf. I turned away, returning to the story.

"They called him Taha Aki the Great Wolf, or Taha Aki the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy."

My mind flashed back to that night where I had seen the large bear or what I had positively called a wolf run past my window.

Taha Aki?

"Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were the spirit of wolves and reflected the man they were inside."

Wolves. Jared. Wolves. Quil. Jacob. _Sam. _

He said that in their human form, they were stronger, capable of fighting human men easily. They were still part wolf. And...the boys...they were huge. They were fast, and they were strong. I swear, I've seen Jacob working on his car before as I drove by, and the easy way he reached under his car...

"And your chocolate fur reflects what?" I heard Sam whisper to somebody. I glanced over to see that it was Quil. "How _sweet _you are?"

Fur.

Like...dog fur. Wolf fur.

"He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he loved the other, this was something else."

Again his grip tightened, but my mind was reeling, spinning too fast for me to focus on the pain. Old Quil began to speak. I hadn't even realized he was able to speak, he was rather old. His voice was quieter, but still held the majestic tone of Billy Black's voice.

"They came across something they had never encountered before – a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain."

I noticed the brunette, Bella, I think, slide into the side of Jacob more. Jared had told me a little about their relationship, and I could see why Jacob loved her. She was pretty, but I also knew that, in the words of Jared, she was dragging him along.

"Taha Wi and his two brothers did not return."

A shiver ran through me.

"They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had one wolf protector left, young Yaha Uta."

A vampire.

It was like I was listening to these stories for the first time again, but I was being told them by somebody more skilled in storytelling than my kindergarten teacher.

Old Quil went on, telling about the third wife's sacrifice. Jared's grip on me was excruciatingly tight, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. The pieces were coming to in my head. For a split second, Jared removed his hand, and I looked up in time to see him flick at stone at a jumpy Quil, causing everybody to relax from the tension of the story and return to how it had been pre-story time. His hand was placed back on my waist, and I could feel him shaking slightly with laughter. I didn't laugh.

The way the stories had been presented tonight, they felt real. Like...like there were actually wolves, here, at the reservation, protecting our people. And there had always been speculation about the Cullen's, how their yellow eyes showed that they were the same people mentioned in the story. Like they were vampires.

Jared had told me earlier about Bella's association with vampires, and cracks had been made about throughout the dinner, though I hadn't noticed that much.

I had been too busy with Jared.

But was it possible?

"Kim?"

I looked up at Jared.

"Ready to go?"

I glanced over at the fire, which had died. I hadn't even noticed.

"Yeah," I whispered, not trusting my full voice. I got up, immediately hit by the chilly air and began walking towards the dark path that I knew led down to Jared's car. I had been so excited and nervous about tonight, even going as far as to calling Kaitlin for fashion advice – not my best idea – and now, all those emotions seemed to have deflated. Now I was contemplating.

I leaned against the door, waiting for Jared to come over after he said goodbye to everybody. He silently unlocked it for me, waiting for me to buckle in before closing the door and striding over to his side of the car and settling in.

As we drove through the streets, it remained silent. I stared out the window, confused as ever.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he murmured, making me flinch. I noticed that grimace of pain on his lips, as if this was hard for him too. He told me that he'd already been told the stories by Billy and Old Quil before.

"A lot of things," I replied vaguely. He didn't respond. We both stared straight ahead and didn't speak. Soon we were parked outside my house, the lights still on. I had told my parents not to wait up, but I knew Grace probably would wait. Her teenage mind craved romance, though romance was probably the last thing on my mind right now.

"Jared?" I asked quietly, gathering my courage. I still refused to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"The legends," I began. "They're...they're true, aren't they?"

His silence was a confirmation. I bolted out of the car.

**((A/N: I was going to end it here, but I decided that instead of leaving you hanging here...))  
**

**~*~**

"Are you an idiot?!"

I sighed, covering my head with my pillow and sinking down into my old maitress, clinging to the blanket I've had since I was a baby.

"Okay, guys, being told this one at a time is bad, but being yelled at by two people at the same time is worse!" I yelled in reply to both Kaitlin and Grace. It was inevitable that Grace would hear, since I had the honor – and this is sarcasm – to share a room with the evil little sister.

"I'm sorry," they replied in unison, Kaitlin over the phone and Grace from the bed beside me.

"But seriously," Grace began.

"You are an idiot," Kaitlin finished.

"You two never should have met," I muttered into the pillow. My words were too muffled for them to decipher, thankfully. But Kaitlin still continued.

"You said that he looked at you adoringly the whole entire time you were eating," Kaitlin said fiercely. "He likes you! It's obvious! Get it through that stone head of yours!"

"Hey!"

"It is rather hard," Grace remarked offhandedly.

"Shut up," I said, momentarily lifting and then replacing the pillow over my face to say this to her. She probably just shrugged, not offended whatsoever.

"You seriously ran away though?" Kaitlin asked incredulously. "I thought we went over this – no more running. Either join the track time or stop running."

I groaned, not wanting to talk to either anymore. I got up and tossed the phone, which was on speaker, to Grace, and walked out of the room, telling them to "continue their conversation about how idiotic I was while I at least got something to drink." Grace, and probably Kaitlin too, rolled their eyes at me.

I went into the kitchen, curious to see why the light was on. It was nearly four in the morning, and both Kaitlin and Grace had waited up for me. I wasn't aware of anybody else being awake.

"Evan?" I asked, seeing the refrigerator door open.

He popped his head out, chewing on something. "Yeah?"

I made a face. "Don't speak with your mouth full. Why are you down here?"

He went back to the fridge, digging through it. "Hungry," I guess he said. It sounded more like "Ungee" since his mouth was probably stuffed with food.

I rolled my eyes and got a glass of water, sipping it slowly. He slammed the door shut and brought a package of pepperonis out. I shook my head at him.

"Evan, Mom said that nobody could eat those. Dad bought them, remember? He was going to make pizza for Brianna's birthday."

"I can eat them if I want," Evan replied, ripping open the package.

"Evan, seriously, you can't-"

"You can't tell me what to do Kim!"

"Evan! Calm the hell down!" I hissed, furious at him. Why was he overreacting? They were fucking pepperonis! "There will be hell to pay if you wake up mom or dad. Just put the pepperonis away!"

"No!" He replied defiantly.

Swiftly, I grabbed the package, using the built in zipper thing to close it and shook my head at Evan, who looked absolutely livid that his pepperonis were taken away.

"You can't have them," I told him sternly, shaking my head.

"You can't," he growled. "Tell me. What. To. Do." He began to shake.

_"Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and – before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa – transformed into a man." _

"Evan, seriously, you need to calm down." He was scaring me.

"I hate being told what to do, Kim. Give me the pepperonis.

"No! You can't have them, they're for Brianna, for her birthday dinner. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

_"Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body."_

"Give them to me!" He yelled, shuddering and wincing in what seemed like pain. "Give them...to me!" He released a loud yell, almost like a growl, and his eyes turned feral, rabid.

He was not my brother.

The fear began in the pit of my stomach, releasing quantities of dread, and grew throughout my body, spreading like wildfire. I knew I wasn't hold the pepperonis anymore, and my brother didn't seem to care about them anymore.

His body bent at awkward angles, and his hands lodged in his own hair, pulling and twisting on the locks. Growls came from his lips, sounding like an animal. A wolf.

My breath came in gasps, his in pants. In a sudden rush of adrenaline, I rushed forward, seizing his waist and pulling him out the backdoor and into the woods, knowing that people would be coming down to investigate. I released my brother and stumbled backwards, shaking as I watched him twist and contort.

And then, he changed. That image, him phasing into a giant ball of fur, would forever be ingrained in my mind.

I'm sure I screamed, which probably didn't help matters, but I couldn't help it.

_"But the creature learned quickly, and soon was matching their maneuvers. It got its hands on Yaha Uta's brother. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature's throat, and he lunged. His teeth tore the head off the creature, but the hands continued to mangle his brother."_

I stood, not knowing what else to do, where else to go, who else to go to, and began to run, leaving the...thing...behind in the woods.

I ran up to his house, not noticing how again, it was pouring, and pounded on his door, hoping that he was here.

"Jared," I sobbed, falling into his strong arms when he opened the door. "Please, you have to help me."

**((...I would leave you hanging here. Go me. --runner))**

**A/N:**

A bit more serious of a chapter today. Hope you liked it. I took the time to write it, so would you be cool enough to take the time to leave a review? Thanks! Have a good Thanksgiving! (or not, if you don't live...here. I guess. ;))

--runner


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, sorry about the break between chapters. I had finals, holidays, pushy family, you know?**

**Anyways, read and review!**

**--runner**

_Growls. Ripping. Fur. Long. Brown._

I sucked in a sharp breath, the air burning against my throat.

_Red lines bursting from his eyes. Feral eyes. Dangerous eyes. _

I moved the pillow over my head.

_Claws. Long. Black. Sharp. _

I squeezed my eyes shut.

_"You can't tell me what to do Kim!"_

I gasped, sitting up on the couch. My chest heaving, I stared into the crackling fire. The visual brought back it's own images – the bonfire. And werewolves. And running.

I ran a hand through my hair, wishing it was thicker and longer. There was so many things I wished for at the moment. One of them was the wish for a normal life.

I sighed, pushing the blanket down so it only covered my legs and sat back in the pillows.

"That's not a possibility anymore," I whispered to myself, staring up at the shadowy ceiling. "It's not even an option."

"What isn't?"

I jumped, falling off the couch and onto the hard floors. A hand quickly covered my mouth, muffling my scream.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Jared cried in a whisper. "Sorry. I forgot you were jumpy. I just came down to check on you."

I calmed myself down from the hyperventilating, clinging to his forearms. At this moment, he was the rock for me. Nobody else knew as much as he did.

"It's okay," I breathed, leaning into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. "I just...I can't be surprised again. I've had enough to last me a lifetime."

His chest rumbled slightly with a chuckle that didn't escape his mouth. It soothed my frazzled nerves further, allowing me to relax even more. Jared's body heat was still high, even though I knew he had probably just been outside. He may have said that he came from the room, but I had the feeling that he'd be much more careful around me from now on, so he was probably outside.

My own chest tightened as I thought about earlier, when I had first came banging on Jared's door.

_His arms stiffened around me, the thick bands of muscle defining themselves in his thick arms. I wrapped my arms – shaking and dripping wet – around his slim waist, wishing that Jared could do the impossible and be my savior; make it all go away. _

_But the thing is, Jared is part of it. _

_I sobbed into his chest, my chest rapidly rising and falling, hair drenched, clothing soaked, and I was going insane. Truly insane. _

_"What happened?"_

_"Evan...he...angry...I was just..." _

_I felt myself being dragged inside, lifting my head briefly in time for Jared's mother muttered words to reach my ears, causing my lips to raise in a fleeting halfhearted smile. _

_"I swear, that boy has no common sense. Who the hell leaves a freezing girl on the doorstep? I do all the work around here..."_

_"Kim," Jared said, recapturing my attention. The smile disappeared, and I stared at his chest, my arms still around his heated waist. _

_"What happened?" His tone was all business. _

_I bit my lip, summoning all the courage inside – which wasn't much, really – and looked him in the eye, the tears brimming in my eyes already. _

_"He _phased_, Jared," I said, my voice shaky, even to my own ears. "_Right _in front of me."_

"I talked to the guys," Jared said quietly.

I nodded.

He swallowed. "He'll be okay."

I burrowed my face into his chest. It was silent for a while then, both of us seeming to be at a loss as to what to say.

"He feels bad."

I flinched. "You talked to him?"

"There's a lot of things you don't know, Kim," he replied quietly, almost a scolding to me. I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't. The awkward silence reclaimed us, and I slowly withdrew from his warm embrace, hoping my expression didn't who my disappointment.

"Thanks for, um, checking in on me," I said, averting my eyes. "It was really nice of you. I can, um, yeah, I can call Grace, and maybe get a ride. Or walk home. Probably walk." I started to stand up, gripping onto one of the couch cushions to help me with my balance problems, and began towards the door.

"No!"

I froze.

His large hand wrapped around my wrist surprisingly gently. "You're staying with me," he said soothingly.

I swallowed thickly. Slowly, he began pulling me out of the room, turning the fireplace off. We were engulfed in the dark now, but I could still make out the outline of his sculpted face.

"Where are we going?" I whispered.

"My bedroom," he replied easily, as if we were talking about the weather, not the fact that we were going to sleep in the same bed. For the second time.

Go me.

"Really?" I asked, my voice shaking again.

I squinted, able to see him nodding.

He pulled me through the doorway, slowly shut the door and sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling me so I stood between his legs. His body heat came off in waves, wrapping around me like a warmed fleece blanket. My hands feel limply to my sides, my eyes watching every movement. His room was eerily lit by the moonlight, giving everything a soft white glow.

Keeping eye contact, he gently pushed my back a step and then lowered himself onto his knees, his hands lowering and untying my shoes, removing them easily. My breaths were slowly getting louder, and, if I had been more aware of my body's reactions, I'm sure my cheeks would have been scarlet, but, as I was being distracted by Jared slowly rising to his feet with the choreography of a television model in slow motion, taking off my shirt. I had on a tank top underneath, of course, but still...I felt completely revealed.

He deftly reached behind him – I swear he choreographed this – and grabbed a rather large pair of boxers and plain black t-shirt, handing them both to me. Then he turned away, walking to the other side of the room and holding his hands over his eyes.

"I won't peek, I promise."

I nearly choked on my own spit.

_Holy shit! I'm gonna be changing in the same room as Jared, and the only barrier between me and him were his measly fingers. His long, and I'm sure dexterous fingers..._

Wow Kim. Turn off the horndog.

I cleared my throat – nervous habit – and quickly unbuttoned my jeans, nearly falling onto my ass in my attempt to be as quiet and efficient as possible, and pulled on the red plaid boxers, which I had to roll up several times to get them to a somewhat attractive size. Then I pulled the tank top off, well aware that I was not, in fact, wearing a bra, and Jared was, in fact, across the room. My cheeks burning, I pulled the shirt on, grimacing when I ran my hands through my hair. It was in a complete knot, which would be painful later. My hair was wispy enough already; this wouldn't help.

"You can turn around," I said, my voice full of embarrassment. "Drop the hands, I mean." My blush deepened.

His hands fell to his sides, his eyes immediately taking me in, sparkling in their brown glory.

I would have felt even more embarrassed, but his next words put me in peace in a way that Jared seemed to have mastered- delicate humor.

"I think I like seeing you in my clothes," he grinned. "Lookin' good, Kimberly."

"It's Kim," I corrected like a robot.

He smiled. "Right."

~*~

"Are you afraid?"

"What?" I asked, completely confused. Where did that come from?

"Y-you know," Jared said, looking afraid himself, a first. "You just saw the whole wolf thing come alive, right in front of you."

I nodded, agreeing with the fact that I saw the thing happen in front of me. Weirdly, though, it was clicking in my mind, a first for me.

Jared was a protector. He kept me _safe. _He wouldn't hurt me.

My brother became a protector. And all they had to do was run around La Push and keep them safe from the "cold ones", which probably don't even exist, so it's not like there was any real danger. The legends said that they were stronger than the average animals, and, from what I saw before, larger too.

"You're afraid?" Jared asked, panicking. He had mistaken my nod.

"No, no, no," I assured him, shaking my head violently. We had moved into bed, but we were both too restless to sleep, so instead we talked. "Well, kind of," I corrected myself. "But not enough to..." I blushed. "Never mind."

One side of his mouth twitched up into a smile. "Tell me. Finish your sentence."

I shook my head.

"Kim..." he said, his voice soft and dangerous. Seductive. Probably unintentionally, but to me, nearly every move of Jared's could be interpreted into seduction. He leaned over, reminding me that he didn't wear shirts to bed. Apparently, he got hot.

He also told me that he normal didn't wear pants, either. But for my sake, he did.

I had blushed.

"Tell me," he said in low, gravelly voice. "What is it?"

"I'm not afraid enough to stay away from you!" I blurted in a rush. "Hardly anything could make me afraid enough! Anything!" I sounded hysterical.

And I probably was.

Because the boy I was in love with was a werewolf, and he hang out with his werewolf friends who ate at least twenty hotdogs, three liters of soda, and nearly five bags of chips a piece.

Because my own brother transformed into one of these animals, over an argument about pepperonis.

Because my parents were going to freak out when they realized that I wasn't at home, no, I was in bed with Jared Haida.

Because Kaitlin would probably assume that we had – insert pink cheeks – sex which we did not because I haven't even been to first base before. No, I was the bench warmer. I was the player you were ashamed to have on your team. And I enjoyed that. Until now. Which means that I am, in fact, hysterical.

"That's okay," Jared said, unusually calm. I could detect the sparkle in his eyes, though.

"Really?" I asked, my voice higher pitched than usual.

He leaned forward, his breath on my lips. "I don't want you to stay away. I want my Kim to be very closer."

His face was within centimeters from my own. My eyes switched from staring into his chocolate pools, and at his full lips, plump and entirely...kissable, I guess.

"Your Kim?" I whispered, hoping that my breath didn't reek.

"My Kim," he replied possessively. "Only my Kim."

"Only..." I gulped, licking my lips. "Only your Kim."

His face was too close; I couldn't see his smile, but his eyes twinkled, like bright stars lighting up the room.

"Totally," he whispered, shifting on his bed so he was partially on top of me. "Infinitely." His lips were a hairsbreadth from mine. "Mine." And slowly, agonizingly slowly, he pressed his lips to mine.

His lips were gentle, soft, not pushing at me at all. I was the one doing all the pushing.

My hands, moving on their own, slid into his silky hair, lightly massaging his scalp, which was as warm as the rest of his body. Jared, in turn, hooked his arms around my waist, rolling over onto his back, causing me to rest comfortably on top of his chest.

Hey, you don't hear me protesting.

In need of air, I tilted my head back, only allowing half a centimeter of space between our faces. He was panting as well, his musky breath falling onto my tongue, each gust of air more tantalizing than the last. The corners of his lips quirked up in a smile, and my own expression reacted on its own, matching his. He leaned forward again, his breathing sated, and just as his lips brushed mine again, his lips parted...

_Bang! Bang! Bang! _

"Oh my fucking God!" I leaped backwards about six feet, falling onto my ass on the cold floor.

"Kim!" Jared shouted frantically, easily climbing off his bed and disentangling his long ogle-worthy legs of the clingy sheets, pulling me up and clutching me to his chest, my ear resting below his heart, which thumped loudly and strongly.

"What the hell was that?" I asked breathlessly. My own heart was about to burst from my chest.

"I have no clue," he whispered. We spent a moment in silence, both of us glancing nervously around the room. We both jumped when the banging happened again, but at least this time we knew where it was coming from.

Jared stomped over to his window, which looked out into the black forests, leaving me shivering in the middle of his room.

"What the fuck Paul?!" Jared hissed, trembling slightly as the burly man's face appeared in view, glistening from the rain.

"Dude, just wanted to keep you in the loop. What's got your...oh, hey Kim!" He grinned widely at me, his white teeth glaring dangerously in the moonlight. "What's up?"

"Um..." I glanced nervously at Jared, shaking myself. A lot changes when you realize that somebody you were already scared was a werewolf.

A look of understanding crossed his face. "Oh...was I interrupting something?" He asked, leaning against the windowsill and waggling his eyebrows, looking at us both with a cheeky smile.

Jared sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, obviously aggravated. "I'll see you later, Paul."

"Really, later? Because, you know, I can just-" he started to climb through the windowsill, but Jared shoved him out, quickly slamming the window and shooing him away, closing the curtains. He then turned to me. "Sorry," he said apologetically.

"It's fine," I assured him.

"You're shaking," he pointed out, his eyes trained on my hands.

I hid them behind my back. "I'm fine, really."

His head snapped up, his eyes gazing into mine. Slowly, like he didn't want to scare me, he raised his hands up, like he was surrendering. "I will never lie to you Kim, ever." He took a few steps towards me, resting his hands on my hips. I nodded slightly to his questioning gaze, assuring him that it was fine. "I only ask for the same."

I sighed. He had to play the guilt card. I was a sucker for that kind of thing.

"I told you I could never be surprised again," I said, resting my hands on his broad shoulders. "He surprised me."

"Yeah," he agreed, chuckling lightly. "I could tell."

I felt my cheeks flush, causing Jared to chuckle again, his thumb tracing the apple of my cheek.

"Let's get back to bed," he said, keeping my gaze as he effortlessly lifted me into his arms, causing my jumpy instincts to come to surface. My legs – I swear, they were acting on their own accord – wrapped around his slim waist, my arms wrapping around his neck in turn, and his nose grazing against my nose, his eyes wide circles.

We stared at each other for a moment, the both of us trying to not think about what was, uh, going on..._down there. _

"Oops?" I whispered.

He nodded, swallowing thickly. Slowly, his movements stiff, he moved over to his bed, sliding me down his body so I basically fell onto the bed. There was another moment of awkward staring before he lunged at me.

"You want me to explode Kim?" He asked in a breathy whispered, pinning me to the bed. His hands shook slightly as his fingers traced my cheeks, leaving trails of fire in their wake. He swallowed. "Do you know what you do to me? What your lips are like?" His trembling fingers traced the contours of my lips, his brown eyes searching me fervently. "You do a lot to me, Kim." He whispered, pressed his lips to mine chastely. "And now that I've had a taste, I won't be able to stop."

I gulped. "That's slightly okay with me," I whispered, playing with the small smooth hairs at the nape of his neck, my cheeks burning.

His lips twitched. "Only slightly?" He asked, amused.

I shrugged playfully, biting my lips nervously as I tried to decide whether to stare into his eyes or at his lips.

"Well, Miss Chehalis, I will need to be changing your mind..."

**A/N: How was your first kiss? **


	17. Chapter 17

**An explanation for the, uh, hiatus, shall we say, is provided on the profile. Thanks for sticking with me though, it's much appreciated. **

"So...how big?"

_Huh?_ "What do you mean?"

"How big was his thing?"

"I am not following your train of thought," I replied, twisting my finger in the phone cord and glancing at Jared's bedroom door to ensure that he was still snoring away. He didn't need to hear this conversation. Nobody deserved this torture, including myself, but I knew that if I didn't immediately call Kaitlin, it would result in a bigger, and most likely public and dramatic, explosion.

"You know," she said, chomping on something in the background, causing me to roll my eyes. "His _package. _The goods."

"Oh God," I groaned, attempting to quietly hit my head against the kitchen cabinet. "Please don't. We didn't even...you know."

"What?" She squawked, as if this was an abomination. I guess to her it was. "How...why...what...Kimmmmm!"

"I know," I sighed, leaning against the opposite counter. "But be realistic, Kaitlin. We aren't even really, like, dating, you know? I'm not officially his girlfriend, and he's not technically my boyfriend." Even if he has been inside my head for years now, but that's besides the point. "And even then, we would only have just started dating. And I'm just..i don't know, not ready?"

"Ah," she murmured her understanding. I quietly blew out a breath of relief. This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was silent for another beat before she spoke again. "So which base did you get to then?"

I guess I thought too soon. Damn.

"Ugh, Kaitlin, come on, not now, not in _his _house." I begged, leaning over again to listen for his snores.

"You said he was asleep," she replied, stubbornness written all over her tone. I wouldn't be surprised to see her jutting out her lower lip as well. "And if you don't give me details, I will be forced to come to his house and find them out from him, because I'm sure he would be more willing to talk than my stupid uncaring best friend!"

"God, you're such a child," I groaned, sliding down the counter so I was resting on the floor. "I'll tell you," I said, giving in with reluctance. "But...don't be mad, I need a reminder of the bases."

"What?" She cried, pissed all over again. "Kim, we've been over this! Remember, the white board?"

"Yes," I said, gritting my teeth and shuddering as I remembered that horrible board where she drew rather graphic explanations of what each base meant. She would actually be a great artist if she decided to use her talents for good, but instead she chose to draw two people going at it on a whiteboard meant to teach children their abc's.

Horrible memories, trust me. The kind that wake you up in the middle of the night.

"I don't know why I put up with you," she sighed dramatically. "All that work, only to have you forget. Didn't you keep the pamphlet I printed for you?"

I cringed. I had burned that thing in the woods seven miles from my house in hopes that _nobody _would have to see it.

"I take your silence as a no, and therefore, I will go through the process of reminding you all over again," she sighed again, more dramatic than the last, and began in a monotone, robot-like voice. "First Base is commonly understood to be any form of mouth to mouth kissing, especially open lip or French kissing."

"I remembered that one," I interrupted indignantly.

"Of course. I wouldn't be friends with a complete idiot. Anyways, Second Base refers to tactile stimulation of clothed genitalia or naked breasts."

How does somebody say something like _that _with no emotion in their voice? Seriously.

"Third Base refers to tactile stimulation of the naked genitals with oral sex and/or fingering."

"I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth," I whispered, mainly to myself. "God Kaitlin, are you just reading this out of a book?"

"Psshh. Please. This is locked into my memory," she replied, pausing to take a sip of something before continuing with her, erm, lesson, I guess you could say. "A Home Run, or perhaps referred to as rounding the bases, scoring a run, hitting a home run, scoring, going all the way, coming home, etc. is the act of penetrative intercourse."

I'm pretty sure that at this point my jaw was on the floor, rolling around in a puddle of goo that used to be my body, because that...was _gross._

"So," Kaitlin said, back to her normal chirpy morning voice. "Which base? Not home plate, obviously, because you're not ready, but which one?"

"How can you act as if this is the most normal thing in the world?" I wailed. "This is weird!" I was about to go on before I caught myself and glanced down the hallways to Jared's door. Luckily, he was still snoring. The man slept through anything, it seemed. "Please Kaitlin," I resumed, whispering this time. "Just drop it?"

"No."

Demanding bitch. And I mean that in a slightly loveable way.

I sighed. "Well...second base?" It sounded more like a question.

She gasped. "Really? Serious! Oh my God! Oh my...! Kim, details, I need them! Was it hot? Of course it was, what am I saying? Seriously Kim, open that mouth, gimme something to work with, this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you!"

"Thanks," I said dryly, resisting the temptation of hanging up on her. "How kind of you."

She sighed. "I'll forgive you for your rudeness if you give me a play by play."

"What? God, Kaitlin! No! No way!"

"Come on," she whined, sounding like a child begging for dessert before dinner. "Please?"

"No," I said soundly, shaking my head and rubbing my temple with my free hand. I was still seated on the kitchen floor. "And you won't get any. This is personal."

"So you can't even tell your best friend?" She sniffed, sounding hurt.

"Kaitlin," I sighed. "Don't be a brat. Please, just give in on this? It's just...private, you know? Something I want to keep between us." As I said this, a warm fuzzy feeling started at the pit of my stomach, spreading rapidly as I thought about last night with a smile, staring at the tangled phone cord in my lap. "Please?" I asked again in a whisper.

"Fine," she said, giving in with obvious disappointment.

"Thank you," I said. "Really, thank you."

"Yeah yeah," she grumbled. "I'll see you late, mkay?"

"Yes, of course, bye Kaitlin."

"Bye."

I clicked the phone off, setting it at my side so I could catch my breath before I returned it to the machine where it belonged.

"You know, nobody can resist you when you say please like that."

I tensed and looked straight up, squinting in the kitchen light as I tried to see Jared's face. "Morning," I said sheepishly. He grinned, bending down to grip my shoulders and lift me up easily off the floor. I returned the phone to its place before turning to look at him. He was wearing only boxers, and looked amazing in all his bedhead glory.

"You left me," he pouted, taking a step towards me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

He smiled the heart breaker smile, and then closed the space between us. "Were you talking to Kaitlin?" He asked as I rested my head on his hard chest. I nodded. "About what? I only caught the end. She seemed to be begging for something."

I shrugged. "Girl stuff." I replied weakly, unable to think of any other suitable response.

"Girl stuff?" He repeated, frowning, catching my chin and tilting it upwards so I had to look at him. "Explain."

"Uhh..." This was not good. Not good at all, especially because I was looking into those chocolate eyes...

"They were talking about baseball," a voice called out. I paled as I heard a bar stool creak and watched as Jared's mother round the corner, shooting my a sly grin as Jared looked at me in complete confusion.

Oh man. Fuck. Seriously.

"Baseball?" Jared asked. "No offense, but isn't that more of a guy thing? You know, the whole baseball and beer thing?"

"Uh...well, uhm, n-no, but...'" stuttered, digging myself into a deeper hole. "I mean..." I looked with wide eyes from Jared to his mom, back and forth.

"They were just talking Jared," his mom said soothingly, smirking slightly in her smile. "Nothing to worry about," she cooed as she patted his shoulder and stepped around him.

"Do you like baseball?" He asked, confusion still etched in his features. "Because we could play you know."

"Oh she loves baseball," his mom replied for me, taking enjoyment in my red cheeks.

"So do I!" Jared exclaimed, looking at me with bright, excited eyes. "I love baseball!"

"Oh God..." I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and burrowing my face into Jared's chest as his mom laughed. "I hate you Kaitlin. So much."

"So..."

"Yes?" I asked, turning to look at Jared. It was one of those rare and weirdly nice days in La Push, and we were making the most of it, finding a more secluded section of the beach and laying out a blanket. We had been dozing and just talking all day. It had been, well, perfect. Basically the best day of my life.

"We haven't been on a date."

"No," I replied, surprising myself with my calm and clear answer. "We have not."

"We should."

I paused, savoring the moment. I had dreamed about this for...well, forever. And ever. That's how long I have waited for Jared Haida, and damn it, I was going to bask in the glory. He could have any girl, I'm sure, and yet here I am, spending the day with him and getting a date as an included bonus.

"So, what I'm asking is, if, you know, you wanted to, well, go out on a date with me?" He winced at his words, and I could feel my cheeks stretching as I watched Jared stumble over his words as I have in front of him so many times.

"Yes," I whispered, unable to speak out loud like I did earlier.

"Yes," he smiled, tugging me closer and kissing my temple. "Yes," he whispered, sounding like he was talking to himself. "You said yes," he said, hugging my closer.

**Hellooooo again my dear friends. Yes, it's short. But hopefully I will find some time to crank out the rest of this story (although I kind of don't want to; it's my baby :) But anyways, thanks for sticking with me. Again, an explanation for the hiatus is provided on the profile. Review if you feel have you something pleasant to say. :) **

**Question: do _you _like baseball? **


	18. Chapter 18

**Not as funny and lighthearted as last chapter. This story was tagged as a drama/romance, after all. **

I frowned. Picking up the green dress, I held it up in front of myself, staring at the reflection in the mirror. I had never really done this before, and this uncharted territory was really fucking with my fashion sense, which, admittedly, wasn't much in the first place. It was times like these that I actually _needed _Kaitlin's assistance, but, of course, her parents decided to take her on a hike that took up the entire day, and they - of course - chose to do it today, so she was out.

I sighed again, setting down the dress and picking up the red one. I stroked the material, reveling in the silky material. I loved this dress – my mom and I had picked it out at one of those blowout sales at a department store. I had never worn it before, partially because I've never had a chance to, and also because...it was sort of daring. For me, at least. It was tight, form fitting, and had a plunging (again, for me) neckline. Definitely not something I would normally pick, which was why I was warring with myself. Over a freaking dress.

I groaned, tossing the dress carefully aside and sitting on my bed, brushing wispy strands out of my eyes.

"I would go with red."

I started, still weary of surprises. I looked up, eyes widening when I realized that it was Evan. Also known as the newest member of the, uh, La Push werewolf pack...

"Sorry," he apologized, nervously stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. "Can I come in?"

I bit my lip, not able to withhold the nerves that flinched at the thought. I saw him wince as he watched me hesitate, and immediately felt horrible. I was his sister, after all.

"Sure," I said, clearing my throat and making room for him next to me on my bed. I patted the spot. "Sit."

"Thanks," he muttered, taking a seat.

"Yeah," I whispered, staring down at my clasped hands that rested in my lap.

"I just..." he said after a moment, breaking the tense silence. "I just wanted to apologize. I...I lost it back there." He said guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I'm so fucking sorry for scaring you like that. And for endangering you like that." My mind flashed to Emily, the scars marring her face. Sam had done that. "I'm so stupid."

"No," I sighed. "You're not. You couldn't have known that was going to happen. And it was partially my fault for provoking what is in your blood."

"But I could have handled it better," he replied, regret still strong in his voice.

I wondered for a moment if Jared had talked to him, but decided to let him bring it up himself. I'm sure he didn't need more to his already overflowing plate.

"I should have known though," I replied, unable to stop the slight bitterness in my tone. "I should have attempted to warn you, or handled it better." Although I have to admit that some of the aftermath (i.e. second base in Jared's bedroom...) was rather pleasant.

"Warn me?" Evan asked incredulously, turning his newly shaved head to look at me in confusion. "You had no way of knowing what could have happened."

Well shit. Jared hadn't told him. Damn it.

"You're wrong," I shook my head, avoiding eye contact. "I knew. Like, seriously, I _knew_."

It took him a couple seconds, but he got it. "What?" He exploded. "You knew before me? About the wolves?"  
"Shhh!" I cried, staring at him and quickly jumping off the bed and running to the other side of the bed when I noticed his hands were shaking. "Do you want to tell the whole family?" I asked in a harsh whisper.

"Sorry," he said shortly, apologizing both for his volume and the scare. I slowly came back to the bed, taking my seat. "It's just...all so fresh."

"Overwhelming," I said, nodding in agreement. I knew what he meant, and I wasn't even a werewolf, just an imprintee.

"Right," he sighed. "But how did you know? I mean, besides the stories and the legends. Nobody really believes in those."

"Oh, um..." I searched my room, frantically hoping for an answer. "Well, you see." I swallowed. I didn't know how much he knew. If I told him about imprinting, would that freak him out and provoke an unwanted transformation? "Jared told me," I finally settled on it. Might as well get it out and over with.

"Jared?" He repeated slowly. "I think I remember him. Maybe."

I nodded. "Yeah. We're um, kinda going out on a date tonight."

"Oh," he said, looking at me. I avoided his gaze, biting my lip and running a hand over the red dress. "Ohhh," he said again, this time with more understanding. "You like him."

"Yeah," I choked out.

"Hm."

Silence.

"Yeah." Smooth Kim, real smooth.

"Well," he said, standing up. "I'll let you, er, get to it."

I nodded, feeling the awkward tension in the air.

"But...we're good, right?" He asked, concern showing in his brown eyes.

"Of course," I replied, smiling. I loved my brother, werewolf and all. Sure, he almost killed me and scared me enough to run into the arms of an Adonis (not a horrible punishment, if you ask me), but...I could deal. He was family, after all.

"Good," he said, blowing a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

I smiled at him. He would always be a kid to me, even if he was nearing Jared in size. I watched him walk to the door, still sitting on my bed. I was about to return to the fashion war when he spoke again.

"And I would go with the red, by the way."

I turned to look at him. "You know, giving your older sister fashion advice will _not _help you convince the other guys in the pack that you're ready to fight and, well," I smirked. "Be a man."

"Oh...yeah, you're right," he sighed. "Damn it."

I laughed as he walked away, standing up again and holding the red dress up against myself. I looked into the mirror, unable to hide my smile.

I was going out on a date with fucking Jared Haida.

Jared. Haida.

Delicious abs. Amazing smile. Shining personality. Good hair. Protector.

Not to mention a last name that really went well with my name. Kimberly Haida had a ring to it.

"Thank you Evan!" I called, hoping he could still hear me as I slipped the dress off the hanger and hung the green dress back up.

* * *

"Where exactly are we going again?" I asked, staring as dark green flashed by.

He sighed. "It's a secret," he said patiently, his eyes on the road.

"But why?" This was probably the fourth time in forty minutes we've had this conversation.

"_Because_," he said, frustration creeping into his tone. "This is our first date, and this is how it is supposed to be done." He said this very sensibly. I had a sneaking suspicion that his mother had instructed him on the "perfect" first date, and looked out the window again to hide my smile.

"Of course," I replied, as if this all made sense.

He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "Why are you making this so difficult?"

I shifted in my seat, making it so I was facing him but not flashing him. That would be embarrassing. But maybe not a terrible idea. I had heard that some boys were really attracted to black lace...

But anyways.

"Because you should know that this doesn't _have _to be perfect. Everything and everyone has their flaws."

_Besides you_, I whispered in my head. I do believe Jared Haida was perfect. A specimen that belonged in a museum.

"I know," he replied. "But I do want it to be special. And nice. I mean, look at you." He looked away from the road, instead looking at me, causing a bright blush to spread over my cheeks. This made him grin, which made my ears turn scarlet.

"I'm sure it will be nice," I said after regaining my composure.

"But good enough?" He asked, reaching casually over to take my hand. "I can only hope."

I rolled my eyes, but was secretly pleased that he was as nervous. To avoid his probing and beautiful eyes, I instead took his huge hand, examining it with interest. Even his hands seemed muscled, like the rest of his body. I had never thought of hands as hot, but now, seeing Jared's long fingers and feeling his soft skin, I definitely had to reconsider my initial thoughts.

"We're here, by the way," he said softly, breaking my reverie of hand fantasies.

I dropped his hand into my lap - a place where it was _quite _welcome - and examined the front of the fancy restaurant. It was rustic looking outside, with vines draping the entrance, giving it an Italian feel.

"Huh," I couldn't help remark. "Impressive, Mr. Haida, very impressive."

He grinned at me, obviously pleased. "My lady," he said grandly. "You have not seen nothin' yet."

He got out of the car and jogged quickly around to open my door for me, offering me his hand as I stepped outside. I smiled at him, hoping the nighttime would hide my blush. Based on his cheeky smile, I would say not, but I chose to ignore it as he locked the car and laid a hand on my back to lead me into the restaurant. Soft violin music was playing in the background, and there was a decent crowd inside. Fortunately, Jared had the sense to make reservations, so we were seated immediately.

I smiled a thank you to the waiter and then picked up the menu, ignoring the fact that Jared was staring at me. After picking out fettuccine alfredo, I decided to bite.

"Yes?" I asked, folding my hands on the table. "You want to say something?"

He nodded. "We need to talk."

I gripped the the sides of my chair, needing something to occupy my hands. _No fucking way. _

"About what?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He stared at me for a moment before realizing what was going on in my mind that caused my to react with such paranoia. "No no no no no!" He said, shaking his head and speaking loud enough to garner attention from fellow diners. We waited until something else caught their attention, staring at each other the entire time, his eyes burning with passion. After a few moments, when the sounds of dining picked up again, he started again as well.

"We need to talk," he said. "About the uh, werewolf thing."

I relaxed, calming down my breathing.

"There are things that you need to know about," he said, twisting his napkin nervously in his hands. "Things you need to know about if you're going to be doing..._this _with me."

I nodded, telling him silently to continue.

"There are certain aspects of being a were-"

"Are you guys ready to order?"

We both looked up at the waiter, who was probably my age, and then back at each other.

"Sure," Jared replied, obviously annoyed at the interruption. "I'll just have the spaghetti and meatballs."

The waiter nodded, looking down to write it on his notepad and then looking to me.

"Fettuccine alfredo," I said. "Thank you."

We both watched him walk away before I continued.

"We need a different word," I said. "We can't use werewolf. It's too..." I shrugged, the words not coming to me.

"Yeah, I know," he said, running a hand through his hair.. "Um, how about pitcher?"

"Pitcher?"

"Yeah, you said you liked baseball. Why not?"

Focusing on not choking on my water, I nodded. After swallowing, I said out loud, "Sounds great." Thankfully, he didn't notice my strained tone.

"Great," he said. "And I'm sorry. This won't be the perfect first date."

"It's fine," I said, waving it off. "It's probably good that we're all on the same page. Especially with Evan now a were..." at his look I trailed off, remembering the code word with a slight cringe. "Especially with Evan now a pitcher."

"Right," he said, blowing out a breath. "So. Let's just get to it, eh?" I nodded in agreement then sat back in my chair, preparing myself.

"As a, uh, pitcher, I, well, we have certain duties. That includes protecting La Push and all of its inhabitants." I had the feeling that he had been lectured on this many times before. "As a pitcher, we have upstanding traditions to hold ourselves to. People have _died, _Kim. They died for their tribe, and as a w-pitcher, it is our duty to do everything for our tribe."

There was a sharp passion in his words, an emotion that spiked my heart and filled me with pride, and also scared the shit out of me.

"So me and the guys run shifts. You know, maybe Jake and I will run the perimeter one night, checking for leeches, and then the next day, Paul and Sam will take it. We all work together as a team to function and protect. And when we're in wolf form, we can all communicate. Basically, we share one mind. So, in wolf form, I can think anything, and the guys will hear it."

I frowned. I didn't know if I wanted the guys to hear _everything_. That would be embarrassing, and I already had enough of a blushing problem.

"But I'm pretty good at keeping certain things out," he quickly assured me, that twinkle in his eyes as he smiled. "They don't get all the good stuff, trust me." I felt my cheeks heat, and he continued with a smile. "It's mainly just for battle purposes, so we're not constantly howling and barking at each other."

I nodded in understanding, ignoring how my heart skipped a beat when he said battles. Based on his tone of voice, that type of thing excited him. But in me it emitted a sharp terror that started deep in my belly and filled my chest and my head with fear.

That would be my _brother _out there.

That would be the _love_ of my _life _out there.

"Kim?" Jared asked in a whisper, his eyes concerned as the waiter silently set the plates down in front of us and left.

I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts and images out of my head. "Sorry," I said, picking up my fork. "Go on."

He stared for another minute and then picked up his fork, taking a huge bite and then talking around his food.

"So, anyways, since we're always running around, we have a big appetite. And we're growing boys."

I watched with wide eyes as he demolished half of his large plate of spaghetti in one minute.

"Wow," I mustered to say. Wow, indeed. He had a big mouth, and an even larger stomach, it seems.

"Yeah," he said somewhat sheepishly, shrugging. "I enjoy my food."

"I'll say," I remarked, taking a bite of my own food. That made sense though. They would expend a lot of energy phasing from form to form. And running around. Suddenly those twenty hotdogs at the bonfire seemed like a normal number.

"But there is a reason we always need to be fueled, and on it. Because we're protecting La Push," he explained seriously, taking a sip of water. "Do you know who the Cullens are?"

I nodded. Everybody knew who they were on our reservation. They were rumored to be vampires, the same ones who initially set up the boundaries for our tribe many years ago.

"Well, they are...we'll call them catchers. Vampires are catchers, kay?"

I nodded my assent, setting down my fork as a nervous feeling broke out in my bones.

"So, the Cullens are catchers. An entire family of them."

I stared at him.

"I'm serious."

"Really?" I asked, doubtful.

"Yes," he sighed. "They live as vegetarians. So they don't...drink human blood. Only animal blood."

I looked at him.

"It's true!" He said indignantly. Lowering his voice, he said, "That's why they're not allowed on the reservation. Those myths, those legends, they're true. All of them."

I blew out a breath, not hungry any more. "You want my food?" I asked, my voice sounding weak and feeble to my own ears.

He winced and nodded, taking my plate. "Sorry, this isn't the ideal first date."

I nodded absently, trying to take it all in.

I think every kid in La Push (and many adults) scoff at the legends the elders of our tribe drilled into our heads. We never thought any of them were true, we just thought of them as Native American tall tales. This would change a lot though.

"Are all...catchers vegetarians?" I asked, mentally noting how weird this conversation would seem to an outsider.

"No," he replied quickly, already finishing with my food. "Definitely not."

I looked at my napkin, which was now torn to pieces by my nervous hands.

"Kim," he called softly, continuing once he knew he had my attention. "I will _always _protect you. No matter what, I...it is my duty to make sure you are safe. Always understand that. I doing this to protect La Push, yes, but for me, now, you are a huge part of La Push. I'm doing this to protect you. I will _never _let you get hurt. _Never._"

I held his eyes, which were burning with emotion, their fiery chocolate depths shining brightly in the candlelight. After a long silence, I nodded, telling him that I understood. This was something he had to do; it was in his blood.

"Okay," I said, unable to say anything else. "Okay."

He blew out a breath, obviously still troubled. "Let's get some air," he said, flagging down the waiter and paying the bill. We stood, and he guided my out of the restaurant, away from his car and towards the pier. It was fully dark out now, the moon visible over the water. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, protecting me from the chill with the pure heat of his body.

We took a seat at the end of the pier, dangling our legs over the softly turning water. I focused my eyes on the moon, leaning on the beautiful man to my right. He held strong, still shielding me from the cold, as I'm sure he always would. He would always protect me, he would always be strong.

And hot. He'd always be hot, even when he was walking with a cane.

"Is it true?" I asked, looking up at him. "Do you change when there is a full moon?"

He grinned, shaking his head. "Nope," he said, popping the p. "_That's _a legend, for sure."

I smiled, glad we could get back to what we were used to, not heavy stuff.

"And silver stuff doesn't bring us down either," he added with a face. "That silver bullet thing is shit."

I grinned, snuggling up to him more.

"And there was one more thing I wanted to talk about," he said softly, kissing my hair.

I sighed, shutting my eyes for a moment to ward off the aching feeling inside. I was always worried about what he had to say, like if he was going to break some news to me that wouldn't be good.

"You remember what I've told you about imprinting?" He asked into my hair in a soft gentle voice.

I nodded. He had told me that it happened after the change, and you just saw the person, and knew you had to be with them.

"And you know that you are my imprint."

I moved my head up and down again, a smile on my face.

"So you should know that I will always love you."

Okay, let's just, pause, right now.

_"So you should know that I will always love you."_

_LOVE. _Jared Haida _loved _me. He was in love with me.

Oh my God! Inner twelve year old me was jumping up and down, squealing.

He loved me! Not any other bitch, he loved _me_! Take that, stupid girls in my fifth grade class who sneered at me! Go crying back to your wimpy little boyfriends who can't turn into a mega cool wolf and kick vampire ass!

"Kim?"

Okay, we're cool. Un-pause.

I felt a hand on my face, stroking the apples of my cheeks. "Kim?" He asked again, a smile evident in his tone.

I pulled myself together, hugging his waist with renewed vigor.

"Kim?" he asked again.

"What?" I asked into his chest while inhaling his scent in gulps.

"I said I love you," he said.

I tilted my head back, not understanding what he was getting at. "I know," I said. "I'm not that stupid."

"Of course you aren't," he quickly assured me. "But uh, do you, um, do you...?"

I smiled, my confidence just about bursting from the seems. I put my hand up to his cheek, shuffling over so I was in his lap, enveloped in his warmth. "I love you, Jared Haida. Very much so."

His teeth were blindingly white, his smile huge. I smiled back, wrapping my arms in a lock around his neck. His warm hand found my waist, the other one creeping along my leg and to my neck. "Good," he whispered, latching his lips onto mine.

"WOOOOOO! YEAH! It's about time!" I heard a loud pop from right behind me, and jumped, screaming.

You know, when we first sat down at the edge of the pier, I had mentally thought about how picturesque it was, the Pacific right underneath us, waves swirling gently to create a romantic soundtrack to our first date .

Now... not so much.

"Kim!" Jared yelled.

In my shock, I had flinched my way out of Jared's arms, and right into the fucking freezing ocean, taking Jared with me. I felt his hand grip my arm, wrenching me above surface.

"Shit, are you okay?" he yelled over the now loud ocean.

I nodded, already feeling the chill in my bones as my teeth chattered. Jared was the only reason I was still above the surface.

We both glanced over to the pier, where I now saw that Paul was dying with laughter as he rolled around on the pier, his face bright red, while Embry stood to the side, a small smirk on his face as he divided his time watching Paul and then look at us.

"Oh fuck, Paul, you are _dead!_" Jared hissed, wrenching himself up and handing my hand – I was still in the water – to Embry. "Fucking _dead_!" He shot towards him. Paul got up quickly and took off down the pier, still laughing his ass off as Jared chased him, screaming further profanities.

Embry pulled me up, handing me his jacket.

"Thanks," I said with my chattering teeth, watching with amusement as the boys began wrestling with each other.

"Sorry," Embry apologized. "We didn't think you guys would fall in."

"It's okay," I said with a smile, relaxed. Jared was now pummeling Paul, who had began to beg for mercy. "Really, it's all okay."

**Thank you for the reviews. They are all lovely, kind, and smiley. :) Also, sorry about the page breaks (the transitions from one scene to another, basically) Although on the preview thing they are shown, they are not shown on the final copy (this copy) and I know that's probably confusing, and I apologize. I don't know how to fix them. **

**Also, I would like to give credit to Wikipedia for last chapter's _explanations _of the amazing, intriguing, and fantastic sport of baseball... link is provided on my profile if you feel the need for further research. ;) It should be under Unseen Till Now links. **


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